This is a wonderful natural area, famous for its Lakes, but it is equally wonderful as the home of many beautiful Orchids.
These are all definitely of the Petalochilus genus, as the dorsal sepal is clearly erect. Recent postings of Stegostyla species (with purple lips) are all of strongly hooded flowers.
I am going out on a limb here, with the names of these Orchids, but I will go conservatively, and proclaim most of them to be variants of the same species - Petalochilus catenatus, despite the fact that they vary from white, to palest pink, through to mid pink.
Several are so strongly marked that I believe that I believe they are clearly Petalochilus carneus.
My whitest plant is a near-perfect match for the one illustrated on the PlantNET site.
A white form of Pet catenatus
This is a slight variant - with a pink tip of the column.
A probable Pet. carneus - with red marks on labellum.
A strong pink Petalochilus, with a green column and white labellumPresumably a pink variant of Petalochilus catenatus.
With the markings inside the flowerthis is presumably Pet carneus.
This is the "odd man out".
It is nearly pure white, with a green top of the column.
But the inside of the column is dark red.
If this plant were flowering in June, not October,
I would call it Petalochilus pictus.
This is the "odd man out".It is nearly pure white, with a green top of the column.
But the inside of the column is dark red.
If this plant were flowering in June, not October,
I would call it Petalochilus pictus.
The same plant viewed from the side.
Lovely pair of Pet. catenatus
2 comments:
These orchids are wonderful. They look simple and luxuriant all at the same time. Long may they multiply...but do they need much water and how much will the death of the lake itself threaten them and their species. The dry lake bottom makes me think of Lake George.
Just beautiful orchid images. The close-ups are stunning.
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