Local orchid hunt (2 of 2)

[ArronOB]

The third spot that we visited on the Local orchid hunt was a small patch of rainforest on the descent from the mountains at about 300 m. There is a creek here and a small forestry dam so the humidity is high, and there is a carpark in the centre so the airflow is quite good. The creek is not set too deeply into a ravine so the light levels are pretty good too.

Almost every one of the rainforest trees here had orchids growing on its trunk. There were only four species, but we didn’t expect variety to be greater at this latitude.

It’s quite unusual to see epiphytic orchids growing in such abundance at this latitude, so again it’s down to a coalescence of perfect conditions of light, airflow, temperature, humidity and symbiotic fungus. The fact that the host trees were rainforest species in a sea of eucalypts helps too - the eucalypts have ever-shedding bark which makes it impossible for the epiphytes to hold on, and they probably have repellent compounds as well.

Also the fact that all species were inconspicuous ‘botanicals’ makes it easy because there is less desire for visitors to pilfer them.

Anyway, these were the species present.

Bulbophyllum exiguum. Photo 1. Little 6mm pseudobulbs with a single tiny leaf. Grows over the mossy tree trunks like a necklace.

Bulbophyllum shepherdii. Photo 2. Another encrusting one, but with fleshy falcate leaves.

Photo 3 shows B. exiguums tiny flower. It appears to be coming from the shepherdii but it’s not.

Photo 4 is A large specimen of Plectorrhiza tridentata, the tangle orchid, called so because the roots grow unattached more often than attached to the substrata. Its Vandanaceous.

Photo 5 was the only Dendrobium present. I think its Dendrobium aemulum, the ironbark orchid, but unfortunately too degraded to be sure.