Spring Orchids on a sunny day.

 Well, thanks to everyone for their support in organising a sunny day yesterday, for our Orchid tour.

A very pleasant day was had by all.

Confusing, as ever when it comes to working out appropriate IDs for plants

some of which are extremely variable, as you will see.

We started out with the local show-piece Sarcochilus falcatus

Another nice clump of Sarcochilus falcatus.

We then moved down to Kangaloon and found these beauties just opening for the first time this season.

Sun Orchids refuse to open when it is not warm and sunny.
On advice from Colin I have edited several names.

Colin suggests this is Thelymitra x truncata

Thelymitra media - a nice tall, strong Sun Orchid.

 Here is one of the tiny Pink Sun Orchids which are very common locally.

These plants are notorious for opening only in warm sunny weather.

Thelymitra carnea - the Pink Sun Orchid

Next is another common Sun Orchid, the Slender Sun Orchid (Thelymitra pauciflora)

It is not a showy plant.
Pale colour, thin stem, relatively small flower.

Thelymitra pauciflora

Next we get into the hybrid Sun Orchids.

The following plants are all variants on a theme.

They are all descended from Thelymitra ixioides

but they show the parentage of the tiny pink "carnea" as well.

Sun Orchids are notoriously susceptible to hybridisation

as they tend to open at the same time, 

in close proximity to eachother.

The bees and other insects do the rest.

I thought this was Thelymitra x irregularis. But Colin disagrees

Colin thinks this is a pink colour form, of Thel. ixioides

This final plant is a large floppy flower, with some spots, a lilac colour.

But it is the different tip of the column which is most distinctive.

The Sun Orchid which we really wanted to see - Thelymitra kangaloonica - an endangered species known to grow in Butler's Swamp, Kangaloon, was not yet properly open. We found a few in bud, but not nearly as many as last year. Presumably this is down to seasonal variations. 

I have posted an album from yesterday with many more species in flower than in this Blog (because it would take far to long to present and to read through. You can have a quick look, and select certain flowers to look at, if you wish, by going to my Picasa Album for yesterday's outing,  which is now open to public viewing.

It includes three species of Beard Orchids, Flying Duck Orchid, lots of Stegostylas (Caladenia type plants) and a Potato Orchid. It also has photos of another local plant, which is an as-yet un-named Leek Orchid.