Hello, all! As part of my academic work on the genus
Dipodium, I recently traveled to Australia in January and February 2014 to collect specimens (all with valid permits, of course).
I think one of the most stunning species I encountered was the blotched hyacinth orchid,
Dipodium variegatum. The species in this genus are tolerant of hot and dry conditions, so they're often the only orchids flowering in the summer. They are mycoheterotrophs with leaves reduced to scales around the base of the stem, held usually just below the soil's surface. Cultivation is impossible without the fungal partners and host trees the fungi inhabit. Anyway, I think they're quite pretty.
In the Pridgeon
et al. classification of orchids (
Genera Orchidacearum), this genus is allied with
Cymbidium,
Grammatophyllum and others in the subtribe Cymbidiinae.
Dipodium variegatum, Meroo National Park by
Kitkor, on Flickr
I have almost finished uploading photos from my trip to
this flickr album, where you'll find more photos of
Dipodium.
Dipodium variegatum
Threaded Mode
