Identification Dry Sclerophyll leafless/vine orchid Sydney Aust
 

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Hi ID Forum , I was out walking in local bushland and came across what I think looked like a Dendrobium orchid. What was unusual was it had no leaves at all. It had incipient aerial off shoots and was growing as a long vine from the leaf litter. There were 3 separate sprays from the one underground root system.

Given it was different to any local orchid I have seen, I cannot find anything similar on the Net. This is not in a moist tropical climate but a ridge with temperate dry sclerophyll woodland. with sandstone outcrops. Photo ID apps came up with Denbrobium species but they had leaves and were not vine like. Puzzled?
Alan

I hope the photos work as attachments as I am new to the Orchid board!

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Dendrobiums have spurs at the back of the lip. This plant has no such spurs that I see. I am sure it is not a Dendrobium.

I think it is a Vanilla species. The flower looks right for Vanilla except for the multifloral inflorescences. Most species are leafless vining plants with inflorescences arising from nodes, opposite roots. They are pantropical in sclerophyll or seasonally dry woodlands.

I'm not familiar with your flora, but look those up. I've never heard of a Vanilla with so many flowers per inflorescence, but I'm no expert.

Edit: There are no Vanilla species native to Australia. Where did you find it?

Re edit: This might be a Pseudovanilla, which is a genus of mycoheterotrophic (fungi-dependent) orchids related to Vanilla. But none shown in the Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia look anything like this. I suggest you try to show photos to a botanist at a nearby university.

Possible psuedo vanilla
 

Estacion,
Thanks for the reply

The "vanilla species" was the only one that came up on an internet search because of the vine and leafless appearance. I disregarded it because it should not be in this environment. I think I read that for some terrestrial species the leaves may drop off if it was older and relied on nutrients in the soil that rather than sunlight for photosynthesis.

The main area is an isolated location and their are 3 separate flower spikes are within a 3 sq metre area. These may all be attached to the one root system.

Recently I found 2 small examples close by but separate plants. But the main plant seems to be confined to this one location.
I have sent a description to the Australian Botanic Gardens in Canberra but they have yet to get back to me.
Attached is a photo of its habitat in a small flattened clearing with native vegetaion It seems to be growing between a dead using it as support. If you look clearly in zoom your can see 3 separate parts of the vine over the area.
Cheers Alan

Possibly a species in the genus Dipodium (photos that I found appear similar).... some species have no leaves, some according to IOSPE may have very small ones. There are quite a few saprophytic (no leaves, depending on fungi in the soil) orchid genera in Australia.

Check out the Australasian Native Orchid Society Either possibly links from their website, or send them your photos. Maybe they might be more responsive than the Canberra Botanic Garden. What a wonderful find!

Thanks Roberta
 

Many thanks Roberta,
Saprophytic makes sense... Dipodium is a good start...I will check with the AOS .. may be a better forum for this
Everyone is busy these days.

I assume it is a native ...and it is good to do some detective work with the help of others that are far more knowledgable. Have learnt a lot already especially since it was a random discovery... It made me smile!

Let us know if you find out! This is a group with which I'm not at all familiar. Since this whole group of orchids is pretty impossible to grow in cultivation (being extremely dependent on the fungi in their ecosystem), I suspect that relatively few people have knowledge about them.

I think this is Erythorchis cassythiodes.

Black bootlace orchid or climbing orchid.

Cheers
Arron

Sub Family : Vanilloideae Erythrorchis cassythoides
 

Aaron,
Well done sir!

The Black Bootstrap or Climbing Orchid
Erythrorchis cassythoides
Description seems to be a match!

Initially described as a Dendrobium cassythoides by Richard Cunningham in 1830's and later changed to Erythrorchis cassythoides in 1986 by Leslie Andrew Garay

A fascinating journey of identification!

Many thanks to everyone for their contributions!
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Vanilloideae
Genus: Erythrorchis
Species: E. cassythoides
Binomial name
Erythrorchis cassythoides
(R.Cunn. ex Lindl.) Garay
Synonyms[1]
Dendrobium cassythoides R.Cunn. ex Lindl.
Galeola cassythoides (R.Cunn. ex Lindl.) Rchb.f.
Ledgeria aphylla F.Muell.
Erythrorchis aphylla (F.Muell.) F.Muell.

GREAT WORK!!!!

Alan

Great work, both of you!