Journal Number 91
June 2004
ORIGINAL PAPERS
West Coast Ramblings
By Gordon Sylvester, Kumara
I started my 2003-2004 Orchid season by researching all information available to me about the genus Pterostylis in New Zealand. I was interested in the base of the labellum and the column and stigma.
Over the last few years I have noted similarities among species in this genus and differences among species in this area. Accordingly I changed the focus with my camera and started to concentrate on these areas. A process of trial and error eventually led to the purchase ofbellows and a ring flash with good results. A backing from a medical dressing gave me the necessary millimetric scale.
On 9 Nov 03, I revisited Blue Creek, and looked at P. oliveri (photo right) taking several photographs. During this period I had also to look for another house as my house was old. So looking for orchids was a relaxation for me.
About 16 November I was contacted by a neighbour to report that there was a small orchid in flower in her garden, and would I like to look at it? On a whim I went to their property to be met by an apologetic gardener saying the plants had almost finished, but she was willing to show me her special orchid; apparently I had seen it the previous year and she had carefully marked the spot for future reference.
To my surprise I was looking at my little friend from St. Arnaud tagged P. "peninsula" (photo left). I opened up the remaining flower to photograph the interior and my suspicions were confirmed. Of course a quick trip to St. Arnaud was made that afternoon to check on progress with last year's find. No luck as no plants were visible at any of the previous sites.
After the shift was completed I took time out to have a quick look around; my goal was P. cernua. Conversations the previous Christmas between Eric Scanlen and myself required some definitive answer as to the differences between P. cernua and P. "peninsula". I found three possible sites as described in the article announcing the description and three different locations, but while at Temple Basin goods lift I found P. australis in flower on 11 Dec 03. |
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On my own property I had noted a Caladenia species and on an adjoining property located Winika cunninghamii and Earina autumnalis.
A return visit to Blue Creek on 18 December with a friend (an expat New Zealander living in Canada) revealed Aporostylis bifolia, Thelymitra cyanea, Nematoceras macrantha, P. oliveri, irwinii and banksii. Later that morning a trip to Takaka Hill realized P. aff. graminea, Thelymitra sps. Earina mucronata; Nematoceras triloba, P. banksii. Afternoon saw us at Brunner Peninsula located Caladenia lyallii, Pterostylis "peninsula" and Chiloglottis cornuta.
My return home was celebrated by finding Caladenia "red stem"; this plant wasn't in flower but was marked for later investigation; it was growing in a sphagnum moss mound about 30cm above the soil water horizon. A week later, and the whole area had been overturned by wild pigs including my "red stem" site.
Later that same day 21 December we went looking for culvert 53 in Okuku Reserve about 8km from my property. Objective: P. cernua. I could not locate this species but did find Earina autumnalis and Bulbophyllum pygmaeum across the road in the bush. I walked down the roadside and noted Thelymitra species and Thelymitra longifolia and Microtis unifolia.
On crossing the road almost immediately located P. cernua in various stages of finishing flowering including a pubescent seed capsule and flowers. On 23 December I was in the neighbour's property noting Thelymitra cyanea and Thelymitra formosa and a green column Caladenia in my sphagnum moss bog.
On 26 December I was visiting friends and went on a trip to Mesopotamia, headwaters of the Rangitata River; during the lunch break noted T. longifolia in seed and in flower; the flower was about 8mm in dia. while fully open and about 10cm tall. In the same area was Prasophyllum colensoi and Microtis unifolia in a sere environment.
While returning home we called into a private property that specialised in orchid walks at Glenroy. The property was called Hall's Bush. The owners had a Pterostylis species for me to look at. Their only means of identity was a 1st edition of the Field Guide. We noted Chiloglottis cornuta, Nematoceras triloba, in seed, Nematoceras macrantha, Thelymitra longifolia, and Gastrodia "long column".
On 1st January we were back at Okuku Reserve where we found P. cernua had finished flowering completely and had also suffered the depredations of roadside mowing. Thelymitra formosa, Microtis unifolia and P. aff. montana were in flower. P. montana was on both sides of the road.
I visited Phil Knightbridge on 5 Jan 04 to discuss P. cernua. Phil stated that P. cernua was noted from 22 different sites on the West Coast. He gave me a copy of Wardle's 1980 survey of Scenic Reserves on the West Coast especially Okuku. I reported the Bulbophyllum pygmaeum to him.
He showed me the office copy of Land Environments of New Zealand by John Leathwick et al. published by Landcare 2003 and cost about $50. This document is intended to replace the Ecological Regions system currently in use. More on this later.
On 2 Jan 04 found Caladenia chlorostyla on the east side of the property again in the moss bog
as well as C. "red stem" and several small T formosa plants in flower.
On 30 Jan I met Eric Scanlen at Greymouth; we went for a short walk up a local mountain bike track. We found his hypochromic Singularybas oblongus, and N. macrantha, this plant with enormous leaves. In addition to 4 species of Pterostylis, going on leaf shape, without flowers. These leaves attracted my attention and will be the focus of attention next Nov-Dec; one particular plant had leaves about 20-35mm wide and about 10cm long. The colony was located under crown fern.
I located a Pterostylis species without flowers across the fence in the neighbour's property.
There
is a huge opportunity for further research in my special subject in the future.
On 5 Feb while showing a family friend around the ranch I noted an unusually dark mauve orchid looking like a Prasophyllum. Out with the camera and recognised it as a Genoplesium in fact it was Genoplesium nudum with 10-12 flowers up to 110mm high growing in a damp situation amongst grasses and reeds.
One of the plants from the Takaka Hill provided a couple of surprises on dissection. It was a
P. graminea type about 30cm+ tall with narrow graminea-type leaves. The base of the labellum
was very different from any other I have seen. Very definitely needs further investigation next season.
Finally we have several members looking at Corybas/Nematoceras species. There is definitely a need for investigations into Thelymitra and Pterostylis and most likely 3 or 4 other genera.
I have decided to concentrate on the Pterostylis alliance. Accordingly I am seeking fresh flowers
and plants of all Pterostylis to photograph the base of the labellum/column area. If at all possible
2 or 3 plants clearly identified as to location and date of collection would be appreciated, as indeed any diagnostic drawings showing the same details of the column/ labellum area along with the locality of the species.
The location is important as I believe that species are limited in geographical distribution as well as flowering period. Hopefully any information will either disprove or enhance my theory. My physical address is Beach Road, Kumara, West Coast. Any material sent will be carefully handled and if requested a photo copy returned by a self addressed envelope.
Labellum Appendages:
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P oliveri - Blue Creek
Nov 03 |
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P australis - Temple Basin
Dec 03 |
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Pterostylis, Hawkes
Dec 03 |
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P peninsula - St Arnaud
Dec 03 |
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P cernua - Okuku
Dec 03 |
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P peninsula - Tadmor Hill
Nov 03 |
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