Journal Number 99
May 2006

AUSTRALIAN NOTES

Summer Orchids Around Melbourne
Presented by Wendy Probert
From ANOS (Vic) Bulletin Vol 38 (8): 7; Dec. 2005.

Taking into account the paucity of terrestrial species normally benched at February meetings, when she was asked if she would give a Plant of the Month commentary, Wendy elected to speak about species that can be found within 40 kilometres, or less than an hour's drive, from Melbourne's CBD. Her presentation proved you don't have to go to Victoria's alpine areas to find spring flowerers, Wendy has found and photographed orchids over summer.

Although the ever-popular Caleana major (Flying Duck Orchid) is most commonly seen during October and November, it can be found in December at, for example, Christmas Hills.

The pretty pink Caladenia congesta, with its dense black calli covered labellum, has a flowering time similar to the above species. You could come across it at the Baluk Willam Reserve in December.

Although we tend to think of Pterostylis as autumn and winter, P. squamata flowers at Boomers Reserve in Panton Hill in December.

Sarcochilus australis is the only epiphyte found close to Melbourne. If plants haven't been adversely affected by this summer's bushfires, you could find them at Kinglake.

Pterostylis decurva, widespread in Victoria's alpine regions, can be spotted in the Dandenong
Ranges National Park, around Tremont and One Tree Hill in December. Wendy photographed
P. atrans at Healesville in December. Interestingly, P. atrans does not begin to flower until late February at Tremont, and then flowers into March and April.

The common name for Caladenia flavovirens is the Summer Spider Orchid, so it's not surprising that this one is on Wendy's list. This species, which is uncommon in Victoria, can be found at a few sites immediately to the east of Melbourne.

Wendy has seen it at Healesville. It has been reported to occur in the Dandenong Ranges but Wendy believes that it has not been seen in flower for some time. It flowers towards the end of December, into January. Ever optimistic she occasionally has a look around various parts of the Dandenongs in the hope of locating colonies. It's good exercise.

Wendy has found the distinctive Orthoceras strictum in grassy areas near Langwarrin in December and January.* The leafless saprophite, Dipodium roseum, is widespread over much of Victoria. Wendy has seen it at the Baluk Wiliam Reserve and Cardinia Dam in December and January.

The dainty and distinctive Spiranthes australis (Austral Ladies Tresses) carries numerous tiny pink and white flowers arranged in a spiral, corkscrew pattern, up the flowering stem. It is usually found in perenially moist and waterlogged areas. You could be lucky and find this one (in various colour forms) around the Cardinia Dam from December to February.

Note -Wendy forgot to mention this at the meeting, but she has also found it near Scoresby Lake. She does not recommend you search the area because the last time she looked, she was confronted with several snakes (copperheads and tiger snakes) and numerous lizards in the 200 metre stretch where they occur.

Cryptostylis leptochila (Small Tongue Orchid) has an extended flowering period -from December to April.

This fascinating species has a large reflexed purple labellum with two rows of shiny black calli. Wendy has found it at the Baluk Wiliam Reserve, in grassy understorey areas dominated by Gahnia spp., during the summer months. C. subulata (Large Tongue Orchid) grows on the same reserve and also flowers over summer. Like Dipodum roseum and Cryptostylis leptochila, it can be found in various locations from South Belgrave out through Emerald.

The prime flowering time of Prasophyllum flavum is December and January. Look for this one in Eucalyptus regnans (Mountain Ash) forests around Belgrave and the Sherbrooke Forest. It appears after fires. It tends to grow at the base of large trees. Like Prasophyllum elatum, it is robust but has a distinctive, very short purple leaf.

Chiloglottis cornuta can also be found in the Sherbrooke Forest in December and January. Although Wendy has not seen it there, C. jeanesii also reputedly occurs in the Dandenong Ranges.

The deciduous, leafless saprophyte, Gastrodia sesamoides, occurs in the more sheltered, damp spots around Kallista and One Tree Hill over the summer months.

There are a couple of forms of the tiny Genoplesium morrisii (Bearded Midge Orchid) which grow in open areas of slashed grass. Wendy photographed it at Dewhurst in February.
She thinks they look like little toothbrushes used for scrubbing very dirty teeth.

* The photograph in the original paper shows an Orthoceras with a short floral bract, very like
0. novae-zeelandiae - Ed.