Notices by Silver Dory (silverdory@aus.social)

Several really nice variations in both colour & floral structures in this year's Corunna backdoor sun orchids (Thelymitra sp. - maybe T.peniculata and/or T. pauciflora). Almost all plants set seed (probably self-pollinated as many flowers didn't open at all and those that did were generally only open for an hour or two) so there should be another good showing next spring!

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #SunOrchids #Thelymitra

Cymbidium sauve (Grass-leaf Cymbidium / snake orchid) at Corunna, NSW. Flowering was a little reduced this year with very little spring rainfall at Corunna but the few plants still out enjoyed some rare moisture from an afternoon storm passing through today.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #Cymbidium #CymbidiumOrchids

Best patch of hyacinth orchids I've seen out so far this year at Corunna, NSW - Dipodium punctatum (purple hyacinth orchids). Starting to see a few more plants up and out around the local district - hopefully today's first real rain since winter will help them along!

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling

Grevillea hilliana (white yiel yiel / white silky oak) still flowering well in the garden in mid-December. A fair bit south of its natural range here at Corunna, NSW but has done well grafted onto G. robusta. Flowers open from yellow/green buds to impressive cylindrical clusters of white flowers

#Grevilleas #OzPlants #InTheGarden #Summer

Last purple donkey orchids (Diuris punctata) for the year in Croajingolong NP, VIC (mid-Nov). Good to see increased numbers of these beautiful orchids at this location in a season where spring rainfall was fairly low and many other orchids were harder to find than usual.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #EastGippsland

Grevillea leptobotrys (garden/grafted) - low-mounding WA species featuring delicate sprays of uniquely shaped lilac/pink flowers + blue/grey foliage & reddish new growth. An outstanding rockery feature now grown commercially (as 'Lilac Tangles') and widely available in general nurseries as grafted plants in SE NSW. Definitely worth a spot in the garden if you see one at you local nursery!

#Grevilleas #OzPlants #InTheGarden

Veined sun orchids (Thelymitra cyanea) starting to open in swampy heathland near Monga, NSW. This widespread summer-flowering sun orchid is generally found in the mountains above 1000m in NSW but can be found at lower altitudes closer to the coast in East Gippsland, VIC.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #SunOrchids #Thelymitra

Grevilleas are always a good way to attract wildlife to your garden but these 'Cupid's Dream' hybrids are already proving popular with some of the smaller locals and I haven't even taken them out of the pots or removed the labels yet! (Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog - Litoria fallax).

#InTheGarden #Grevilleas #Frogs

Still some amazing diversity in the roadside orchid species near Mallacoota, VIC at the start of Nov. with good numbers of beard and onion orchids out, the occasional large duck and the last few spotted sun orchids finishing up. Not bad for a fairly dry spring ...

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #EastGippsland #SunOrchids #Thelymitra

Starting to think that the patch of 150+ sun orchids at the back of my house at Corunna, NSW are actually Thelymitra peniculata / trim sun orchids (rather than T. pauciflora). Plants with more than 5 flowers plus more deeply notched post anther lobes are definitely closer to T. peniculata, although there are a lot of variations even in this small, isolated population of orchids.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #EastGippsland #SunOrchids #Thelymitra

Forest leek orchid - Prasophyllum sylvestre - near Genoa, VIC. Fairly uncommon in VIC and usually only seen in any numbers after fires. Just a single plant out at this location in a non-fire season - first time I've seen this beautiful small leek orchid.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #EastGippsland #LeekOrchid

Interesting small pink sun orchid (Thelymitra) near Genoa, VIC - probably a hybrid between T. carnea + T. pauciflora which both grow nearby. I've seen similar hybrids at this location in the past but only the one plant out late in the season this year with all other sun orchids finished at this location by the end of October.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #EastGippsland #SunOrchids #Thelymitra

Interesting pink variation in my backyard patch of sun orchids ((Thelymitra pauciflora or adjacent) at Corunna, NSW. These occasional attractive pink forms also seem to have slightly different post anther lobe shape + colouration to more typical blue forms growing nearby - but T. pauciflora can be pretty variable.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #SunOrchids #Thelymitra

Diuris sulphurea (tiger or hornet orchid) near Gipsy Point, VIC. This widespread sp. is often the last yellow Diuris flowering in East Gippsland (into January at some locations) but have only seen a few scattered plants out so far with drier conditions this spring.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #EastGippsland #Diuris

Purple donkey orchids (Diuris punctata) in open heathland, Croajingolong NP, VIC. Widespread in VIC + NSW but generally uncommon in disjunct populations - regarded as vulnerable in VIC due to habitat depletion. Good numbers out this spring at this location.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #EastGippsland #Diuris

Croajingolong National Park wildflowers - still some late waxlip orchids flowering on the edge of the forest in late October with an occasional flying duck out in the fields of pink trigger plants (plus sundews!) near the Genoa River, East Gippsland, VIC.

Top : Waxlip orchid (Glossodia/Caladenia major) + Trigger plant - Stylidium sp.

Bottom: Sundew - Drosera sp. + large duck orchid (Caleana major).

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #EastGippsland #CarniverousPlants #Wildflowers

Spotted sun orchids (Thelymitra ixioides) in open grassland near Mallacoota, VIC. These are fairly typical forms growing closer to the coast in this area - with larger/bluer flowers opening slightly earlier than plants further inland near Genoa.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #EastGippsland #SunOrchids #Thelymitra

Caladenia alata (fairy fingers / fairy orchid), starting to flower in open grassland near Mallacoota, VIC. Most plants at this location are fairly close to the typical white form - with just a solitary pink-flowering plant out nearby.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #EastGippsland #Caladenia

Spotted sun orchids (Thelymitra ixioides) starting to flower in open grassland near Genoa, VIC. Plants at this location are generally smaller (with less flowers) than coastal populations closer to Mallacoota and usually open at least a few weeks later.

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #InTheField #Nature #BloomScrolling #EastGippsland #SunOrchids #Thelymitra

Early spring roadside orchids out near Mallacoota, VIC this week. Only a few scattered plants in flower at this spot but still worth stopping the car to see spotted donkeys, waxlips + several Caladenias (dusky & white fingers) growing close together. Lots of sun orchids - and a few beard orchids - also in bud at this location so these will be out and flowering in the next few weeks if the sun comes out and temps rise a bit!

#Orchids #OzPlants #Biodiversity #Ecology #Botany #Photography #Spring #EastGippsland #InTheField #Nature #Caladenias