Spikes - big and small - at Bungonia

It hardly seems fair to combine an Orchid and an Echidna, but both live at Bungonia and both have spikes on them - so there you go.

I had been to Canberra to check out some of the Orchids on Black Mountain (which I shall reveal more in due course). Then I went back to stay with Martin and Frances at Carwoola (between Queanbeyan and Captains Flat). That left me the opportunity to visit Bungonia Nature Reserve on the way back to Robertson.

Apart from the issue of duelling with some crazed 4WD drivers (blokes in Big Utes and Camper-trailers on behind) who were driving too fast for the conditions of the country roads we were "sharing". I find the word "sharing" inappropriate as I had to escape to the dirt on several occasions, as I passed these large vehicles which were "hogging" more of the road than seemed fair - to me. They were apparently reluctant to leave the narrow country-road strip of bitumen. My answer is DRIVE TO THE CONDITIONS). I assume there is some 4WD "event" on in the Canberra or Bungendore region this long weekend. I would hate to be sharing a camping ground with these guys if they don't calm down. So that's my first lot of "spikes" - spiky moods of 4WD drivers.

********************

I got to Bungonia Nature Reserve and had a chat with the ever-helpful Ranger, Audrey.

Then I went off in search of any Orchids I might be able to find there. I have previously found an endemic Orchid, the unfortunately named Oligochaetochilus calceolus at Bungonia. It earns the specific name because of its preference for limestone-derived soils. Today's visit is somewhat earlier than the previous visit (when I had seen this species), and the country is (was) terribly dry. (It was starting to rain as I left). However I managed to find 3 plants with buds and one (only) plant with an open flower. It was a terribly small plant, with a stem with one open flower and another bud, and the stem was less than 100 mm high.

A "rufa-type" Greenhood
Oligochaetochilus calceolus

But the thing to note about this plant 
is the hard spikes on the labellum.
I assume they assist the plant with the movement sensitivity
which, as with all Greenhoods,
causes the "labellum" to snap closed
if an insect (or a casual photographer)
triggers the labellum.

The flower of Oligochaetochilus calceolus

Click on this image to enlarge it.
The spikes on the labellum helps distinguish
Oligochaetochilus calceolus

********************

And now to the third of my "spiky" encounters today.

I saw an Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
crossing the road in front of me, 

just as I left the gates of Bungonia National Park today.

It crossed off the bitumen
and there was a patch of hard clay below the road.
It meant the Echidna felt exposed, and was not inclined to "dig in"
(which is the natural defence mechanism of the Echidna).
Click on these images to see better details.

I got close to this fellow and sat down.

It decided I might be a rock or something it could "hide under"

So it headed straight towards me, albeit very slowly.

Then it realised I was not a suitable hiding spot
and started to move around me.
It gave me a great chance to see the head fur.
This little Echidna was in great condition
and was not infected with Ticks
(Unlike many of its colleagues).
You can see the left front foot just visible below the nose.
That shows how strongly their legs move sideways as they walk.
But it has a great advantage when they are digging
as they "remove" debris out and to the side
allowing them to dig a hole beneath their body
so they appear to go straight down into the ground.

It moved to the edge of the roadside tree litter

It had to lift its nose over a small branch on the ground

Once it made it to the leaf litter (and softer soil beneath)
It immediately started digging itself down into the ground.
First place was not successful, so it moved a little further forward.

This was good enough for the Echidna
It was starting to burrow straight down through the leaf litter
and into the soil below.
Echidna's legs are set very wide and they scrape the soil outwards
so, effectively they just go straight down into the soil.
Their legs and claws are immensely powerful
and the tail is protected by a special clump of spines
to protect its weakest point
(the tail is at the lowest part of this image)

Tachyglossus aculeatus

For those interested in the naming of the "Echidna" the original name comes from Greek Mythology:According to Wikipedia, "In Greek mythology, Echidna was half woman, half snake, known as the "Mother of All Monsters" because most of the monsters in Greek myth were mothered by her." So I think we can assume that the early naturalists were both puzzled and possibly repulsed by this creature.

Of course, from a scientific point of view, they are fascinating creatures, for not only are they "egg-laying mammals" (something they share with the Platypus). But Echidnas are claimed to be the "the oldest surviving mammal on the planet today". 

The generic name Tachyglossis means "rapid tongue". The specific name aculeatus means spiny. There is a CSIRO publication about the Echidna of which you can inspect a "sample" here.

I have been out in the bush for most of my life, but this was the healthiest Echidna I have ever examined, and certainly these are the best photos I have ever been able to take of an Echidna.

*******************

So, having got off to a bad start with my "spiky encounter" with some 4WD drivers, the day ended on a peaceful note, at Bungonia.

Bungonia and Long Point, and Badgery's Lookout

These three areas are closely located - but contain noticeably different habitats.

They all are overlooking the Upper Shoalhaven River.

Bungonia is (famously) located on a Limestone reef, which has eroded severely (such is the nature of Limestone). The surrounding geology is mostly sandstone (which has not eroded as much). But even my untrained eye can detect variations in the soil and stone colour and consistency as one moves from area to area within the Bungonia State Conservation Area. The famous gorge is between the "Lookdown" and the Bungonia Mine pit.

Long Point is next, and I must stress that I am not a geologist, so I will simply state that to my untutored eyes, the rocks there appear to be more shale-like. But it has higher moisture retention characteristics, seemingly, judging by the plant growth in the area.

Badgery's Lookout is the next accessible point along the Upper Shoalhaven River. It has a different geology too. I recognise that, mostly because of the different trees and specifically, by the different Orchids which grow there.

But here, at least I can quote from the experts who contributed to the Mulwaree Shire Community Heritage Study, 2002 - 2004

• "The sandstone cliff of the marine Snapper Point Formation [a body of rock] is adjacent to the lookout, while further east, a cliff with three distinct levels can be seen, a lower sandstone cliff [Snapper Point Formation], a plateau in the middle [Wandrawandrian Siltstone] and an upper sandstone cliff [Nowra Sandstone]. A peneplained surface [a nearly featureless, gently undulating land surface of considerable area] is broken by large rock formations [phyllites and graptolitic shales] which form the base of the sedimentary sequence described above. The headland itself is capped with basalt [a volcanic rock] and petrified ancient soil."

In the most simplistic terms, although these three lookout points are all similarly high over the Shoalhaven River, and give superficially similar views of the River Gorge, and are little more than 6 kilometres apart (directly) in fact they reveal the immensely complicated geology of the entire region.

At Long Point Lookout there is an old stone toilet block hidden away, nearly out of sight in a patch of dense trees and shrubbery. Around that area one finds masses of leaves of Acianthus and Chiloglottis.

As often happens with both those species, there are relatively few flowers to be seen.

Acianthus exsertus

Chiloglottis seminuda

 On the Lookout edge of Long Point, we found this nearly finished flower of a Diplodium. From the extremely fine tip of the "galea" (hood) and the position of the points, I believe this is likely to be Diplodium revolutum which we had found an hour before on the dry rocky track at Bungonia.

Possibly Diplodium revolutum

Sinus and Labellum of that possible Diplodium revolutum

This plant of Diplodium obtusum was the only flower of this species which we found at Long Point. We had seen many of these plants on a previous visit there, on February 24 It is interesting to see the same species still flowering in the same group of plants, some six weeks later.

Diplodium obtusum

 At Badgery's Lookout, we found Diplodium reflexum

Rear view of Diplodium reflexum

Front-on view of Diplodium reflexum
its hows a much blunter tip than the
related Diplodium revolutum.

And what is this?

This plant is obviously a Pterostylis Greenhood,
It has no stem leaves, nor did it have basal rosettes.
Also the plant appeared to have been nibbled by something.
But what? The area is so dry and stony 

it is hardly likely to be snail damage.
And Wallabies and Wombats normally chew off the entire flower.
The points, the tip of the hood and even the labellum
had all been "shaved back".
Thus nearly all the diagnostic characteristics had disappeared.

We end with a puzzle.
Is it Pterostylis curta?
That seems unlikely given the dry location
and the lack of basal rosette of leaves.

Orchids of Bungonia State Conservation Area.

I had been wanting to visit Bungonia State Conservation Area for some time, this season. But various plans to visit there with Martin had to be abandoned, because of flooding rains around Bungendore and Goulburn and Marulan in both February and early March. The problems were with water-over-road issues when coming from the south, not with these areas themselves being flooded, because the gorges are so deep.

Anyway, Alan and I both ended up being available on Thursday to make the trip. Martin was unfortunately not available to join us.

My favourite Greenhood (and yes I do have such a thing - hard though that might be to justify) is Diplodium laxum. I love the way its  lateral sepal tips ("Ears" or "Points") are so severely swept-back. Somehow they seem to balance the long fine tip of the hood. These swept-back points justify the name "Antelope Greenhood".

Few Greenhoods can claim to be as elegant as this one
Diplodium laxum

These plants were common along the edge of the road leading towards the "Lookdown". 

Incidentally, I love that quaint name "Lookdown", because when you stand there - the best view is indeed below one's feet - rocky cliff edges, the Gorge, the Shoalhaven River far below, and the steep-sided hills on the far side of the Shoalhaven.

Except for this monstrous intrusion over to the left.

Bungonia Quarry from the "Lookdown"

Anyway, fortunately, the Quarry does not appear to impact much on the Bungonia State Conservation Area (at present). It is accessed by a completely separate road. There is some noise evident, and some dust drifts towards the reserve.

A potentially greater threat to the Bungonia reserve is possible if this helicopter turns out to be doing geological surveys for the Bauxite miners who have a lease adjacent to the Reserve.

Helicopter had been dragging a "drone"
possibly a remote sensing device
for mineral exploration purposes.

Anyway, back to happier topics.

Here is the "Blunt Greenhood" (Diplodium obtusum) which we found growing amongst the shrubby Cassinia bushes which like to grow where the protruding veins of limestone rock are to be found.

Diplodium obtusum

We found many specimens of the Little Dumpies (Diplodium truncatum) (they seem to be "flavour of the month" at present).
 

This group was probably the best colony we found at Bungonia. They were growing away from low shrubbery and were coloured quite bright brown, making their stripes very evident. They are still typically short-flowered plants.

"Little Dumpies" Diplodium truncatum

After a bite of lunch at the Picnic Area on the main road, opposite the road to Adams Lookout, Alan and I set off along the Orange Track, then after only about 150 metres, we turned left along the Green Track (according to the map in the Plan of Management, there is another track with the same name, but that runs from Adams Lookout to behind the Visitors Centre - That is not the track to which I am referring). The track I am talking about takes a circuitous route heading roughly south-east and then meets another track which goes to the other main picnic ground, close to the Lookdown.

Alan and I set out along this Green Track, in search of some other Greenhoods which we both remembered having seen in an area of dry rocky hillside. We followed the Green Track for about 800 metres till it started to head south and up a steep hill with virtually no ground cover or shrubbery. There were still some trees, but not nearly as dense cover as previously.

We did find some of the Greenhoods we were after. Not many, but enough to be of interest to us, as there were some very fine specimens of Diplodium revolutum.

Diplodium revolutum

That such a lovely flower should live

 in such harsh, stony surrounds 

seems quite incongruous.

We also saw many more Orchids and Fungi and lots of migrating Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and a few White-naped Honeyeaters. 

But we moved on to check out the two similar lookouts overlooking the Upper Shoalhaven, at Long Point Lookout and Badgery's Lookout. But at this stage of the night I must leave those adventures for another Blog Posting.

"Little Dumpies" - Diplodium truncatum - Greenhoods burst into flower

Kirsten sent me a message today, that she had found a colony of "Little Dumpies" - Diplodium truncatum.



It was a quiet day in Robbo, so once the clock passed 3:00PM when the RMS (formerly the RTA) people opened up Macquarie Pass, I drove down the Pass, to check them out.

I have seen Little Dumpies previously, a few on Mt Gibraltar, several years ago, and a good group at Bungonia Gorge, last year. But they are not "common" around here, well, not in my experience.

This is the best, (densest) colony of these Greenhoods

which I have ever seen.

A dense colony of "Little Dumpies" Diplodium truncatum

These plants have a very abrupt point to the "galea" (the hood) which is shown well in this illustration from PlantNET.

Botanical illustration from PlantNET
"Little Dumpies" Diplodium truncatum

These plants were growing amongst dense plants of Kangaroo Grass, at Croom Reserve, Albion Park, NSW. The grass was very dense, and these plants seemed as if they ought have been quite overgrown, but clearly they were not troubled by the grass.

"Little Dumpies" Diplodium truncatum

These Diplodium plants form rosettes on non-flowering plants.

The flowering plants have their flowers emerge directly from the ground

without any rosette leaves.

Many non-flowering rosettes of "Little Dumpies" Diplodium truncatum

"Little Dumpies" Diplodium truncatum

Because these Greenhoods were growing amongst dense Kangaroo Grass, they were difficult to count, but I estimate that there were about 150 flowers growing in a patch 1.5 metres long by 1 metre wide. There were 3, main clusters of these Greenhoods, growing in clearings between the clumps of the Kangaroo Grass.

An interesting note is that these plants are flowering much earlier than I have previously seen them flower (admittedly in the Southern Highlands), on 3 May 2011 (at Bungonia) and 8 May 2009 (on Mt Gibraltar).

There is some colour variation between these flowers and those at Bungonia, which are much more reddish.

Penrose. Tallong and Bungonia.

The ANOS Illawarra group normally does a "Southern Highlands Tour" on the last weekend in October. Several of us (me, Kirsten and Bruce from the Central Coast) did the Robertson and Kangaloon sections last weekend. Today I did the rest of the circuit by myself.

I had hoped to find masses of Sun Orchids at Penrose, but the weather was not in my favour. But there were many Beard Orchids out (Calochilus platychilus). The Purplish Beard Orchid (formerly known as Calochilus robertsonii)
 

Calochilus platychilus

At Penrose State Forest I saw many of the lovely lilac coloured Diuris punctata (the so-called Purple Donkey Orchid). Then, I went on to Tallong and found masses of en even taller, larger flowered form of this species. They were growing amongst masses of the large yellow-flowered Daisies, Podolepis hieracioides.

Lilac coloured Diuris punctata and Podolepsis daisies.

 In a closer shot you can see the masses of Diuris.

Diuris punctata amongst the Podolepsis daisies.

Here is one of the large-flowered Diuris punctata

Diuris punctata - lilac form.

Here you can see a Beetle which is busy eating the Diuris flower.

Beetle on the Diuris punctata flower

I then went further south to Bungonia State Conservation Area. I spoke with Audrey, the Ranger there, and showed her some of my photos of the Orchid I had gone to find. This plant is in the "rufa" group of plants formerly known as Greenhoods. These days it is known as Oligochaetochilus calceolus. It is endemic to the limestone country around Bungonia. Its specific name refers to its liking for limestone-based soils.

Oligochaetochilus calceolus - labellum has been triggered closed

 The Labellum of this plant has long fine "spikes" (trichomes).

The Labellum is movement sensitive, as part of its reproductive function

for the labellum senses if an insect comes to the flower, and

the labellum snaps shut (as in the previous image).

Oligochaetochilus calceolus

On the way back to Marulan, I found where there is another species of the "rufa" group, Oligochaetochilus aciculiformis. These plants were quite small, and very hard to find.

Oligochaetochilus aciculiformis

This flower has a different pattern of hairs on the labellum

to the previous species.

Tiny short hairs at the top and bottom of the labellum

and long hairs on the sides.

Oligochaetochilus aciculiformis. Note the short hairs as well as the long ones on the side.

A circuit of the inner Shoalhaven Valley

Regular readers will know that I live on the very northern limit of the Shoalhaven Valley. My septic tank drains into the deep basalt soil which helps feed Wallagunda Creek, which becomes Barrengarry Creek, which drops over Belmore Falls and runs into Kangaroo Valley, and hence to Tallowa Dam and the Shoalhaven River.

 View from my back deck on a crystal clear winter's day.

View of Kangaroo Valley and Shoalhaven Valley beyond.

 Ignore the Power Pole.

Mt Scanzi is the conical mountain, 

just to the left of the power pole.

The tower (tall column) visible on the plateau at right is the

"surge tank" in the pipeline between 

the Shoalhaven System (Bendeela pondage)

and Fitzroy Falls Reservoir.

Here is Mt Scanzi zoomed.

Mt Scanzi sits between Lower Kangaroo Valley and the Shoalhaven River.

You may recall my recent posting about the Purple Fly and the mysterious Grub, which turned out to be the most strangely matched couple it has ever been my pleasure to meet up with. Well, at the end of that discovery process I was asked if I could deliver some specimens to the worthy entomologist who had written about them, and who told me what they were.

As I had a forthcoming commitment to drive to Huskisson, for Alan Stephenson's book launch, it occurred to me I could combine a trip to meet up with Penny at her weekend retreat at Windellama, south from Marulan, and then go south to Nerriga and east to Jervis Bay, and circle back to Robertson via Kangaroo Valley. That would neatly give me a circuit of the inner edge of the Shoalhaven Valley, take in some "new country" at the same time, and minimise any "backtracking.

Here is my route.

Being a back-roads person I am pleased to say my entire round trip of 330 Km involved only 15 Kms of "highway" traffic (5 Km at Marulan and 10 Km at Nowra.). The rest was good quality back roads, mostly bitumen (except Nowra to Kangaroo Valley via Budgong and Mt Scanzi).

Blogger photo uploader seems to be broken. Damn.

I tried to post some photos I took along the way.
I'll post this quarter of the story now, anyway. Hopefully Blogger will be back on line tomorrow.

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 

(unlike the Antelope Greenhood (Dipl. laxum) shown on Monday)

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.