Sun Orchids

The Sun Orchids only open their flowers in full sun (hence the name), and even then some refuse to open. Flowers range in
colour from white through pink to deep blue. The flowers are
1-2cm wide and each plant can have from one to twenty flowers.

They have a single long thin leaf, with the flower stem emerging
from the base of the leaf.

Most species of Sun Orchid prefer poor clay soils in open areas amongst scrub. They can also be found on roadside cuttings
where they can get a foothold in the clay. Thelymitra cyanea is
an exception, it grows mostly in swamps and wet areas. More
species are found in the north of the country than in the south.

For more about Sun Orchids... Click Here

Spider Orchids

Spider Orchids are small shy plants, often found on damp banks
or dark areas of the forest floor. Some species can form quite
dense colonies that carpet the ground. They have a single oval
shaped leaf close to ground level. The solitary flowers of many
of the species have very long thin sepals, which give the plants
their spider-like appearance. Most species flower from August
to November.

Spider orchids include the genera: Nematoceras, Molloybas,
Anzybas, Corybas, and Singularybas.

There are still a number of un-named species currently included
within the Nematoceras trilobum aggregate... hopefully they will
be sorted out soon to end the current confusion.

For more about Spider Orchids... Click Here

Petalochilus Orchids

The Petalochilus Orchids are very colourful, and have that
distinctive orchid shape. They have a single hairy narrow leaf,
with the flower stalk emerging from ground level. They have
between one to three flowers that measure 10-20mm across.

Previously known as Caladenia. They have recently been split
into two different genera... Petalochilus and Stegostyla.

They are mostly an orchid of poor clay soils amongst scrub,
and flower during spring to early summer in most districts,
although flowering can occur as late as February in alpine
areas.

For more about Petalochilus Orchids... Click Here

Potato Orchids

Potato Orchids (Gastrodia) are a saprophytic genus that
possesses no leaves or chlorophyll at all. Instead they have
a symbiotic association with a fungus that is parasitic upon
a host tree root.

They have large underground tubers that send up a flowering
spike which can be covered in up to 40 bell-shaped flowers.
Five species have been identified.

The Potato orchids flower over summer, and have become
quite common beneath exotic pine forests. They have been
known to appear in traffic islands where pine-bark chips are
used as a mulch... the seeds apparently coming along with
the bark.

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Perching Orchids

The perching or epiphytic orchids are the most noticeable of
our native orchids. They can be seen on the branches of trees
in just about any native forest remnant throughout the country.

There are only eight species of epiphytic orchid, and none
have large showy flowers. Winika cunninghamii has the
largest at 2 - 2.5cm... while the flowers of Ichthyostomum
pygmaeum are only 2.5mm across.

Fallen trees and branches are the best place to locate the
four smaller species. The Bulb-Leaf Orchid (Adelopetalum
tuberculatum) is confined almost solely to the upper branches
of large forest trees. Earina species can occasionally be found growing upon rocks and banks.

For more about Epiphytic Orchids... Click Here

Beard Orchids

The 3 species of Beard Orchid are all uncommon, with one
(Calochilus aff. herbaceus) being very rare, but all are well
worth looking hard for. Their hairy labella give them a very
unique appearance.

They possess a single long leaf and are very similar in general
appearance to a Sun Orchid. The flowers usually open in
succession, resulting in only one open flower per stem at a time.

The Brown and Red Beard Orchids prefer poor clay soils
or pakihi, and are found mostly in the Rotorua - Taupo region,
while the Copper Beard Orchid prefers wet soils along the
edges of swamps, and is known only from Auckland northward. Flowering occurs in late spring.

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Onion Orchids

The Onion Orchids consist of four known species. Microtis
unifolia is a particularly abundant species that can be found
everywhere from native grasslands to the cracks in street
pavements, and even your backyard.

They have a single tubular leaf with the flower stem emerging
from about one-third the way up the leaf. Each flower stem has
many small flowers about 5mm in size.

There needs to be further investigation into Microtis unifolia,
as it appears there are a number of different taxa currently
included within the Microtis unifolia aggregate.

For more about Onion Orchids... Click Here

Gnat Orchids

Gnat orchids are small orchids of forest and scrub. They have
a single oval or heart-shaped leaf and usually 2-4 flowers.
There are four known species.

The Pixie Cap Orchid (Acianthus) is a winter flowering species
found mostly under light scrub, and is quite common throughout
the country.

The two species of Cyrtostylis are virtually identical in appearance
to one another, and therefore very difficult to distinguish apart.
They flower in early spring and are found in open areas amongst
scrub. They are not uncommon in some districts.

The Creeping Forest Orchid is found only in damp mossy places
amongst subalpine Beech forest. It is found from Mt Ruapehu
southward. It is rare in the North Island, and uncommon in the
South Island.

For more about Gnat Orchids... Click Here

Leek Orchids

There are two types of leek orchid. The two small species
(Corunastylis) and the four larger species (Prasophyllum).
They have a single tubular leaf with a single flower spike
covered in numerous small flowers.

The species of small leek orchid are found mostly amongst
scrub and prefer poor clay soils. They flower from late
summer through autumn.

Of the four larger species, one (Prasophyllum hectorii) is
found solely in swamps, sometimes growing in open water.
Whilst the Common Leek Orchid (Prasophyllum colensoi) is
most commonly found amongst tussock-lands and open areas
at higher altitudes, although it can occur as low as sea level
in some areas. There are two other species which are currently
un-named.

For more about Leek Orchids... Click Here