06/10/2018

Whilst on a fishing trip to the beaches of  Cape le Grand National Park I take some time to check out the vegetation behind the dunes to see if I am lucky enough to find any orchids. In a patch of shallow soil overlaying limestone rock, which was trickling with water, I was lucky to find some Purple enamel orchids (Elythranthera brunonis). I also found close by  a Yellow sun orchid yet to open and a large leaf from unknown orchid. 

Found around 200m behind the high tide mark in a shallow dune system

Can have up to 3 flowers per plant

Missed getting a shot when this one was open

Possible orchid leaves

03/11/2018

Next fishing trip is to a place named Margaret Cove, which is west of Esperance in the Stokes National Park. Again I decide to talk a walk, however this time back along the track to see if I can find any late season orchids flowering. All I find are some Common mignonette orchids (Microtis media) growing on the very edge of the track. I check out burnt banksia scrub but nothing else is found.

Hood-like dorsal sepal

Protected from the elements under larger scrub

Up to 100 flowers per inflorescence

11/11/2018

Remembrance day and we make a visit to Helms Arboretum to see if anything different is in flower out there. Only found some Common mignonette orchids and lots of the South African orchid (Disa bracteata) which is an introduced species that appears to occur in habitats that are disturbed or degraded from Geraldton to Israelite Bay during October and November. All the Sun orchids had finished for the season.

Flowers open all the way to the tip

Very distinct inflorescence

18/11/2018

The final orchid hunt occurred on the drive back from Perth. Nearly 4pm in the afternoon we pull into our special place in the East Naernup Nature Reserve on Mills Road near Munglinup. This little patch of bush we search and the first find are more Common mignonette orchids, which seems to be the only thing left flowering. Whilst grabbing a photo of one of these orchids, something catches my eye.  Finally something different is found late in the season.  A very poor specimen of the Ravensthorpe rufous greenhood (Pterostylis leptochila) is found, which flowers late September to November in a restricted range, from Ballinup River to Munglinup.

Little hood formed by dorsal sepal

Green, olive or brown and white flowers

As it was just past 4pm and the sun was shining brightly we decide to spread out our search. This proved fortuitous as we discovered a much better rufous greenhood specimen as well as other mignonette orchids.

Curled lateral sepals

Cupped, narrow-ended lateral sepals

Rosette withered at time of flowering

Little visitor to one of the flowers

Standing up to 250mm in height

This did prove to be our last orchid hunt of  the 2018 season.

Roll on March 2019 when the hunt commences for the 2019 season.