Journal Number 92
September 2004

AUSTRALIAN NOTES

Terrestrial Study Group - Mt Buffalo Report
By Dick Thomson.
Australian Native Orchid Society (Vic.) Bulletin Vol. 36, 8 March 2004.

An enthusiastic group met on the weekend before Christmas to search again for the elusive
Prasophyllum suttonii. This species name exists because of a plant that was found and
described in 1902 at Mt Buffalo, but it has not been recorded since.

Given the lack of success with previous efforts to locate the orchid, much research was undertaken prior to the excursion.... This time we arrived with Park Rangers, local experts, threatened species officers and lots of enthusiasm.

The weather welcomed us with a day of rain, and as we drove up the mountain the waterfalls across the fire ravaged rocks were spectacular as was the devastation from the January 2003 bushfires. Some of the mountain sides and the plateau were still totally bare, while others areas had good regrowth and a few areas were in spectacular flower.

Back to the search. The morning was spent searching potential habitat areas near the Chalet.
Finally a Prasophyllum was located but it was only P. brevilabre. Further searching failed to
locate more plants, so we returned to a shelter in the car park to dry off and share lunch with
some hang glider people who were also hoping for a weather change.

After lunch we ventured to the known Prasophyllum locations near the skiing areas. This time
we found tots of Prasophyllum leaves, a flooded creek to log and rock hop across, and lots of
tall wet grass ... but no sign of P. suttonii.

A further search around Lake Catani located Prasophyllum leaves, some flowers of Diuris montana and a few Pterostylis monticola. No doubt the most exciting event of the weekend
was Michael Duncan's attempt to out sprint a wombat. The result: a dead heat as they stood
looking at each other.

Sunday greeted us with sunshine. After discussion, a search was undertaken along the old road from Lake Catani to the Chalet. Again without success, but flowers of Chiloglottis valida and other Prasophyllum spp. were located. After lunch we again searched the area near the Chalet, this time extending to Mansfield's Lookout. Many flowering plants of Prasophyllum brevilabre were found. A special treat, but not P. suttonii.

What of Prasophyllum suttonii? As a non-expert I suggest that, given the description of the plant and flower, it is most likely to be a hybrid between P. brevilabre and another montane Prasophyllum.