Rufous

Late Season Looks

Cape le Grand NP, Detours, East Naernup NR, Esperance, Helms Arboretum, National Parks, Nature Reserves, Road Trip, Stokes NP

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. 

Pterostylis – Greenhoods, shell orchids, bird orchids, snail orchids & jug orchid.

List of Orchids Found

Pterostylis aspera complex (Shell orchids)

Flowering – May to August

There are 7 Western Australian species

  • Rosette leaves are present on non-flowering plants only.
  • Flowering plants have stem leaves.
  • Plants are found in colonies.
  • Mostly winter flowering

Green-veined shell orchid (Pterostylis scabra) 14/08/2020

Curled-tongue shell orchid (Pterostylis rogersii) 02/07/2017

Dwarf shell orchid (Pterostylis brevichila) 01/07/2017

Red-veined shell orchid (Pterostylis hamiltonii) 12/08/2018

Pterostylis nana complex (Snail orchids)

Flowering – May to November

There are 35 recognised Western Australian species

  • Flowering and non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves (Exception – Robust snail orchid).
  • Labellum is not visible (Exception – Shy greenhood).
  • Narrow, thickened or clubbed lateral sepals.
  • Flowers are generally much smaller than the similar Shell orchids.

Shy greenhood (Pterostylis allantoidea) 01/09/2018

Robust snail orchid (Pterostylis dilatata) 12/08/2018

Slender snail orchid (Pterostylis sp. ‘crinkled leaf’) 29/07/2015 (Pterostylis crispula)

Hairy-stemmed snail orchid (Pterostylis sp. ‘inland’) 04/07/2015 (Pterostylis setulosa)

Eastern granite snail orchid (Pterostylis sp. ‘miniature’) 09/07/2017

Skinny snail orchid (Pterostylis sp. ‘skinny’) 29/07/2015

Fawn snail orchid (Pterostylis parva) 25/06/2017

Lort river snail orchid (Pterostylis sp. ‘south-coast clubbed sepals’) 02/07/2017

Red-sepaled snail orchid (Pterostylis erubescens) 25/08/2019

Ravensthorpe snail orchid (Pterostylis sp. ‘Ravensthorpe’) 04/07/2020

Karri snail orchid (Pterostylis karri) 31/08/2019

Coastal snail orchid (Pterostylis sp. ‘coastal snail’) 

Murdoch snail orchid (Pterostylis ectypha) 19/08/2020

Southern thick-sepaled snail orchid (Pterostylis meridianalis)

Brittle snail orchid (Pterostylis timothyi) 25/06/2017

Pterostylis rufa complex (Rufous greenhoods)

Flowering – August to December

There are 26 Western Australian species

  • Rosette may be withered at time of flowering.
  • Narrow ended lateral sepals, joined at the base.
  • Mostly spring flowering.
  • Multi-flowered inflorescence.

Midget greenhood (Pterostylis mutica) 20/9/2017, 13/09/2024 Westonia

Striped rufous greenhood (Pterostylis sp. ‘striped’) (Pterostylis zebrina)

Insect-lipped rufous greenhood (Pterostylis insectifera)

Ravensthorpe rufous greenhood (Pterostylis leptochila)

Rufous greenhood (Pterostylis roensis)

Elegant rufous greenhood (Pterostylis elegantissma)

Straight-topped rufous greenhood (Pterostylis sp. ‘straight tops’)

Slender rufous greenhood (Pterostylis macrosceles) 13/04/2024 – Westonia

Spoon-lipped rufous greenhood (Pterostylis spathulata) 13/04/2024 Westonia

Pterostylis vittata complex (Banded greenhoods)

Flowering – April to October

There are 10 Western Australian species

  • Flowering plants lack rosette of leaves.
  • Short, broad lateral sepals, joined at the base.
  • Green or brown, white banded flowers.
  • Multi-flowered inflorescence.

Mallee banded greenhood (Pterostylis arbuscula) 12/08/2018

Crowded banded greenhood (Pterostylis atrosanguinea) 25/08/2020

Cupped banded greenhood (Pterostylis concava) 22/08/2020

Small banded greenhood (Pterostylis orbiculata) 25/08/2020

Dark banded greenhood (Pterostylis sanguinea) 25/07/2015

Frog greenhood (Pterostylis sargentii) 20/09/2017

Banded greenhood (Pterostylis vittata) 09/06/2018

Pterostylis barbata complex (Bird orchids)

Flowering – July to November

There are 14 Western Australian species

  • No flattened rosette of leaves.
  • Feather-like, irritable labellum.
  • Long narrow lateral sepals, joined at the base.
  • Numerous stem leaves.

Bird orchid (Pterostylis barbata)

Dwarf bird orchid (Pterostylis sp. ‘dwarf’) 20/09/2017 (Pterostylis galgula)

Bearded bird orchid (Pterostylis turfosa)

Pterostylis recurva

Flowering – August to October

This orchid does not fit into the other Pterostylis complexes

  • Narrow ended, prominently recurved lateral sepals.
  • Flowering plants lack a rosette of leaves.
  • Numerous stem leaves, with a small dark-coloured, almost circular leaf near the base

Jug orchid (Pterostylis recurva) 19/9/2017