Christmas Bells

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Christmas Bells - Blandfordia nobilis

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Yet another Greenhood from Bungonia

This one is Diplodium revolutum. They were out at Bungonia State Conservation Area, on a very exposed, dry, shaly area. Rock everywhere.
Diplodium revolutum at Bungonia
My colleagues Colin and Mischa have photos of similar plants under the same name (which I always find comforting). For once Murray Fagg at the Botanic Gardens, (ANBG) Canberra also has an image of this Orchid.
 The "points" are nearly vertical, just a little forward pointing 
Click to enlarge the image, to see the details of this flower.
Diplodium revolutum at Bungonia
 You can see how stony the area was where they were growing.
Just one clump of grass visible.
Diplodium revolutum at Bungonia - a nice group


Diplodium revolutum at Bungonia - nicely shaped flower and points
 Its always satisfying to get a clean shot of the labellum.
Gotcha - labellum of Diplodium revolutum at Bungonia
 See the long fine tip of the dorsal sepal.
Diplodium revolutum at Bungonia - note long dorsal sepal (tip of "hood")


Leaf rosettes of Diplodium revolutum at Bungonia
 Another shot of a very nicely proportioned flower.
The angle of the flower and the points is near perfect.
A nice profile shot of Diplodium revolutum at Bungonia
 Unlike Dipl laxum, the points (or ears)
are still held quite upright, although spread,
they are nothing like as widely spread as the other species.
Diplodium revolutum
Another shot of the labellum, points and dorsal sepal
 Here is a problem for future generations of this plant.
The local herbivores (Wallbies or else Bunny Rabbits) 
have taken to nibbling the flowers.
Trouble is, the flowers which were there ought be setting seed.
They're not!
They ovaries of these plants have been devoured.
Only the tubers survived.
Lets hope they try to flower again next year.
Click to enlarge, to see what I am talking about.
Diplodium revolutum at Bungonia - note chewed stems on left.

7 comments:

Prem said...

So, are there any species left in Pterostylis?

Denis Wilson said...

Hi Prem
Yes, all of them, if you follow the traditionalists.
But I follow the names used by "Jones and Clements" because the names they use give clear distinctions of shape and form. Best example is my favourite Speculantha (Tiny Greenhoods).
.
If I mention "Speculantha" it is immediately clear what type of flower I am looking at.
.
Whereas with "Pterostylis" it could be something like the ones I have shown in the last 3 posts (which happen to be Diplodiums anyway). They could be short or tall, long points, or long dorsal sepals, wide sinus, or even (in the rufa group) with huge prominent Labellums waving out of the front of the flower.
.
However, in deference to those unfamiliar with these "new names" I always link back to the PlantNET site (with my first reference to the name).
.
PlantNET sticks to the old names. So my first reference to Diplodium revolutum takes you to Pterostylis revoluta page on PlantNET.
I hope that helps.
Cheers
Denis

Denis Wilson said...

I should have mentioned that the ones still in Pterostylis are mostly winter and spring flowerers. So expect a bunch of Pterostylis flowers from next month onwards. Pt curta, nutans, hildae. In fact I saw the first Pt. hispidula of the season last week - it got buried in hundreds of other photos. So I shall show them soon.
Cheers
Denis

Sue Catmint said...

this is a worry, I always feel we need to savour these wild flora and fauna because their future is so precarious. btw, when you take photos like this, are you lying on the ground?

Denis Wilson said...

Hi Catmint.
Yes, savour these little things as long as we can. Preserve the "wild places".
And yes I am normally "down and dirty" when taking these photos. I have been having trouble with my flexibility recently, so getting up is the real problem.
But I quite enjoy lying down to get a really close shot. It is satisfying, I mean. My lens giuves me about a 10 power magnification, and once I am back hoime, of course, ti is many times greater on the screen. One can see stuff which is almot impossible to view, even with a 10x hand lens, because those lenses are so sensitive that depth of field is miniscule. Using a land lens (eyeglass) is much harder than photographing them.
Cheers
Denis

ValeriaVine said...

I always see the most amazing things on your blog Denis. You have such a keen eye for the beautiful details of nature.

Denis Wilson said...

Thanks Valeria Vine.
You flatter me.
They're out there. It just requires someone to go looking for them and then start blogging about them.
.
I don't "make them". That would be something special.
.
I know you have an interest in the Bungonia area. Perhaps we ought organise a search around your Dad's Block one day, to see what we can find.
Seemingly dry country can produce surprises.
Cheers
Denis