Sequel to the Big Day out at Tallong

This will be relatively short.

Alan Stephenson has sent me some images he took yesterday.

Some I could not take (one of my knee being used as a measuring stick for a tall Corunastylis apostasioides) and others taken at Meryla Pass (Griffin's Fire Trail) where I had made a lazy decision that I was too tired to cart my heavy Macro lens down the first section of the steep downhill Fire Trail.

Alan has kindly sent me some images to fill the gap in my record.

Firstly two excellent images Alan took of Corunastylis plumosa.

Corunastylis plumosa - Tallong Midge Orchid, at Tallong
Photo Courtesy of Alan Stephenson

Corunastylis plumosa - Tallong Midge Orchid, at Tallong
Photo Courtesy of Alan Stephenson

My knee being used to measure the height of a very tall

Corunastylis apostasioides.
PlantNET says it goes to 30 cm tall

Alan measured this as 50 cm tall.

And it was growing in 30 mm of moss

on a normally dry hillside.
No soil. Very "poor" sandstone scrub.
If you have ever seen Kunzea parvifolia growing

near Braidwood, Marulan or here at Tallong, you will know what I mean.

Corunastylis apostasioides against my knee as height measure.
Photo: Alan Stephenson

Then we went back home via Meryla Pass Road.

(off the Moss Vale to Fitzroy Falls Road)

Griffins Fire Trail (top end)
One of two species of Chiloglottis which were

growing in moist moss on a  vertical wall,

part of the old track cut in the rock to make

the original Meryla Pass track.

Chiloglottis seminuda
(long "clubs" below labellum)
Not reflexed backwards
Lower half of labellum clear
Photo: Alan Stephenson

 The second species of Chiloglottis found on Griffins Fire Trail
Ch. reflexa.

Chiloglottis reflexa (Photo: A. Stephenson)

Alan got excited about these next couple of shots.

Cymbidium suave is seldom recorded

growing on Old Man Banksia trees.

But here were three plants on the one Banksia serrata

Old Man Banksia.

Photos:Alan Stephenson.

Cymbidium suave on Banksia serrata

Cymbidium suave on Banksia serrata

These minute fungi gave us some excitement too.

Alan spotted them,

because he thought the moss sheet looked promising 

- for Orchids, of course.

Instead he found these strange Fungi

The moss and lichens and "fungi" were all growing together.

*****

I have told you it was the end of a very long day (at Tallong)

so I was trying to rest on a convenient log. 

But I soon got called over to inspect these Fungi.

I have concluded that they are probably Multiclavula

At the time I guessed Clavaria (which is fairly close).

Just possibly these are

Multiclavula icthyiformis 

"the fruiting body has a short stem 

and then broadens to a thin, somewhat fishtail-like apex"

Source ANBG Basidiolichens website.

This ID awaits confirmation from the Experts.

Possible Multiclavula icthyiformis

Possible Multiclavula icthyiformis

Possible Multiclavula icthyiformis

I will say this for Alan.
For an Orchid Expert, 
he is very open-minded when it comes 

to investigating other aspects of Nature

be they Turquoise Parrots, 
or these Fungi, or interesting Insects.