It appears that I ventured out to check on the late season orchids by myself as pictures taken on the Olympus E-M5 Mark II are the only record and they do not have GPS data. So, I will post the pictures and info for each orchid found with no commentary for the outing itself.
Swamp mignonette orchid
Microtis atrata
Flowering season: Sept to Nov.
Range: Jurien Bay to Israelite Bay. Also SA, Vic and Tas.
Habitat: Sandy clay and clay soils in seasonally wet areas.
Microtis atrata
Microtis atrata
Granite china orchid
Cyanicula nikulinskyae
Flowering season: Sept to early-Nov.
Range: Fitzgerald River NP and Israelite Bay.
Habitat: Soil pockets on granite outcrops.
Cyanicula nikulinskyae
Cyanicula nikulinskyae
?? mignonette orchid
Microtis sp.
ID of orchid currently unknown. Posted on iNaturalist for assistance in ID.
Microtis sp.
Microtis sp.
White fairy orchid
Caladenia marginata
Flowering season: Late Sept to Nov
Range: Jurien Bay to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy and sandy-clay soils in seasonally wet flats and runoff areas on granite outcrops.
Rattle Beaks
Lyperanthus serratus
Flowering season: Sept to Nov
Range: Perth to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Lyperanthus serratus
Lyperanthus serratus
5 Different species located. From the species found I believe the location to be east of Esperance.
Earlier this season (June) we checked out the burnt area north of Gibson and found greenhoods but nothing else. Now that we are at the other end of the season, we pop out there again to record what is now flowering. After nearly 3hrs searching the area, we were pleased to find so many orchids flowering. I hope you enjoy the photos below, that record what species we found.
Common mignonette orchid (Microtis media subsp. media)
Season: Sept to Jan
Distribution: Shark Bay to Eyre
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Common mignonette orchid (Microtis media subsp. media)
Red beaks (Pyrorchis nigricans)
Red beaks (Pyrorchis nigricans)
Season: Aug to Oct
Distribution: Shark Bay to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands. Usually only flower the season following a summer fire.
Purple enamel orchid (Elythranthera brunonis)
Purple enamel orchid (Elythranthera brunonis)
Season: Aug to early Nov
Distribution: Kalbarri to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Zebra orchid (Caladenia cairnsiana)
Zebra orchid (Caladenia cairnsiana)
Season: Aug to early Nov
Distribution: Lancelin to Esperance
Habitat: Sandy and sandy-clay soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Little pink fairy (Caladenia reptans subsp. reptans)
Little pink fairy (Caladenia reptans subsp. reptans)
Season: July to early Oct
Distribution: Northampton to Esperance
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Cowslip orchid (Caladenia flava subsp. flava)
Cowslip orchid (Caladenia flava subsp. flava)
Season: July to early Dec
Distribution: Northampton to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay, lateritic and granitic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Little pink fan orchid (Caladenia nana subsp. nana)
Little pink fan orchid (Caladenia nana subsp. nana)
Season: Late Sept to Oct
Distribution: Perth to Bremer Bay. ( 250kms to the West )
Habitat: Sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests and woodlands. Best in the season following a summer fire.
White fairy orchid (Caladenia marginata)
White fairy orchid (Caladenia marginata)
Season: Late Sept to Nov
Distribution: Jurien Bay to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy and sandy-clay soils in seasonally wet flats and runoff areas on granite outcrops. Flowers best in season following a summer fire.
Blue china orchid (Cyanicula gemmata)
Blue china orchid (Cyanicula gemmata)
Season: Aug to early Nov
Distribution: Kalbarri to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay, lateritic and granitic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Granite china orchid (Cyanicula nikulinskyae)
Granite china orchid (Cyanicula nikulinskyae)
Season: Sept to early Nov
Distribution: Fitzgerald River National Park and Israelite Bay
Habitat: Shallow soil pockets on granite outcrops. The recently integrated Condingup china orchid (C. sp ‘Esperance”) was listed as growing in shrublands and woodlands.
Heberle’s spider orchid (Caladenia heberleana)
Heberle’s spider orchid (Caladenia heberleana)
Season: Sept to Oct
Distribution: Augusta to Cape Arid
Habitat: Sandy and sandy-clay soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Esperance king spider orchid (Caladenia decora)
Esperance king spider orchid (Caladenia decora)
Season: Mid Aug to Oct
Distribution: Bremer Bay to Cape Arid
Habitat: Sandy-clay and clay soils in woodlands and shrublands.
Small mantis orchid (Caladenia attingens subsp. gracillima)
Small mantis orchid (Caladenia attingens subsp. gracillima)
Season: Aug to early Oct
Distribution: Jerramungup to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy and sandy-clay soils in woodlands and shrublands.
Dancing spider orchid (Caladenia discoidea)
Season: Aug to early Oct
Distribution: Kalbarri to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy soils in woodlands and shrublands.
Dancing spider orchid (Caladenia discoidea)
White mignonette orchid (Microtis alba)
White mignonette orchid (Microtis alba)
Season: Oct to Jan
Distribution: Dongara to Esperance
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and seasonally wet flats. Most common in the season following a summer fire.
Bee orchid (Diuris laxiflora)
Bee orchid (Diuris laxiflora)
Season: Sept to early Nov
Distribution: Gingin to Esperance
Habitat: Sandy-clay and clay soils in seasonally wet areas.
Twisted sun orchid (Thelymitra flexuosa)
Twisted sun orchid (Thelymitra flexuosa)
Season: Sept to Oct
Distribution: Kalbarri and Israelite Bay
Habitat: Seasonally-wet flats and shallow soil pockets on granite outcrops.
Swamp mignonette orchid (Microtis atrata)
Swamp mignonette orchid (Microtis atrata)
Season: Sept – Nov
Distribution: Jurien Bay to Israelite Bay. Also found in SA, Vic and Tas.
Habitat: Sandy-clay and clay soils in seasonally-wet flats.
Hybrid orchid (Caladenia x sp.)
Hybrid orchid (Caladenia flava x reptans)
Season: July to early Dec
Distribution: Northampton to Esperance
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay, lateritic and granitic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
18 species and 1 hybrid found in just over 2 and a half hours of searching in the 1 location. A SUPER SUNDAY!!!!!
Saying goodbye to the kids, grandkids and Deb C, we head north for our next location. Here we check out the burnt patch north of Gibson.
Up to 8 flowers per orchid
Red beaks(Pyrorchis nigricans)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Shark Bay and Israelite Bay, growing in sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands. With rare exceptions, plants flower only in the season following a summer fire. Also found in SA, Vic, NSW & Tas.
Red n white striped flowers
Up to 4 flowers per orchid
Lemon-scented sun orchid(Thelymitra antennifera)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Shark Bay and Israelite Bay, growing on creek margins, seasonally moist flats and granite outcrops.
Broad petals and sepals
Single, shortly haired leaf
Cowslip orchid(Caladenia flava subsp. flava)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Northampton and Israelite Bay, growing in sandy, sandy-clay, lateritic and granitic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands. In inland areas the subspecies is found in isolated populations on granite outcrops and rocky hills.
Colony forming on occasions.
Large colourful species, standing 250-500mm in height.
Esperance king spider orchid(Caladenia decora)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Bremer Bay and Cape Arid, growing in sandy-clay and clay soils in woodlands and shrublands.
Clubbed sepals
Standing 300-800mm in height
Bee Orchid(Diuris laxiflora)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Gingin and Esperance, growing in sandy-clay and clay soils in seasonally wet areas.
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Lancelin and Esperance, growing in sandy and sandy-clay soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Dense central band of lamina calli
Smallest flowers in the genus
Swamp mignonette orchid(Microtis atrata)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Jurien Bay and Israelite Bay, growing in sandy-clay and clay soils in seasonally wet areas. Also found in SA, Vic & Tas.
Up to 40 flowers per orchid
Greenish petal and sepals
Heberle’s spider orchid(Caladenia heberleana)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Augusta and Cape Arid, growing in sandy and sandy-clay soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Jurien Bay and Cape Arid NP, growing in sandy and sandy-clay soils in seasonally wet flats and run-off areas. Flowers best in the season following a summer fire.
Flowering and non-flowering leaves
Up to 3 ,rarely 4 flowers per orchid
Spectacular spider orchid(Caladenia x spectabilis)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Kalbarri and Esperance, growing in sandy and sandy-clay soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
A hybrid between Cowslip orchid (C. flava) and Pink fairies (C. latifolia)
Pink to apricot flowers
Lateral spreading fringe segments to labellum
Dancing spider orchid(Caladenia discoidea)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Kalbarri and Israelite Bay, growing in sandy soils in woodlands and shrublands.
Broad central band of dark purplish-black calli
Up to 3 flowers per orchid
Purple enamel orchid (Elythranthera brunonis)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Kalbarri and Israelite Bay, growing in sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Glossy spreading petals and sepals
Caladenia flava ???Caladenia decora ???Caladenia x spectabilis ???
So many orchids, but as it is after 1.30pm we head off to grab a late lunch at the Esperance Bird & Animal Park .. Hamburgers n chips enjoyed ..I had a GOAT beer to celebrate a wonderful Father’s Day .
