It has actually rained in Robertson (September 2013)

Well, by my records, the last time  we had decent rain in Robertson, was in the last week of June.
Since ten we have had 17 mm in July, and a mere 1.5 mm in August. At long last, we have had 21 mm over the last 3 days. It won't play "catch-up" but it is a start.

I had the pleasure of accompanying two British visitors and their Australian friends for an Orchid tour of the Southern Highlands on Saturday. They were Dr. Colin Scrutton, a retired Professor from Durham University and his wife Angela. They were accompanied by two Australians, John (another geologist) and Ross, an Orchid enthusiast. Colin had contacted me months ago, via the Internet, because he had Googled "Bird Orchids" and my Blog came up.

So we were on a promise - to find Illawarra Bird Orchids.

Illawarra Bird Orchid
Simpliglottis chlorantha

Fortunately, it was a successful mission. In fact, the season has been beneficial for many early flowering Orchids (late Winter, and early Spring seasons). I knew there were some in flower, but in fact we found literally hundreds of plants and at least a dozen in flower. Far more than I had ever seen before (even though the weather was not particularly favourable),

Illawarra Bird Orchid
Full plant (note the paired leaves and sandy soil).

As the visitors were staying on the Shoalhaven coast (could they have decided to stay further away?) I arranged to meet them at the base of Cambewarra Mountain. That way I could show them some of the other Orchids on that mountain.

Thelychiton epiphyticus
Tree version of the Sydney Rock Orchid
which has been re-classified as a separate species.

 My guests were very impressed with the next Orchids we looked at.

A magnificent tall spike of
Prasophyllum elatum

Close-up of Prasophyllum elatum
The Tall Leek Orchid
Note the pollinia dislodged from the flowers
but which were not stuck on an insect.
In the battle to achieve pollination
I would have to score this
Insects 2: Orchids 0 .

Next stop was Macquarie Pass.
I showed them the few remaining flowers where Alan and I had been the previous week, looking at remarkable colonies of Prasophyllum erecta, and Prasophyllum hildae. Even with very tired flowers, the size of these colonies was still impressive. I was able to show them some fresh flowers elsewhere on the Pass, so they could get decent photos of the hildae flowers.

And we moved on to Tourist Road, East Kangaloon to see the Pterostylis x ingens - a naturally occurring hybrid.

Pterostylis x ingens

In between those "highlights" we saw many other species as well - far too numerous to mention here.
At this stage, we decided to call it a day.

Orchids start earlier in Kangaroo Valley than Robbo

The orchids of Cambewarra Mountain and Kangaroo Valley are starting up. These plants flower about a month earlier than the same species, up on the Robertson Plateau. Some of these plants are nearly as high (in altitude) as Robertson. But Kangaroo Valley is in a "lens" and captures the sun and heats up. And Cambewarra Mountain is exposed to the milder coastal weather. So, either or both of those factors might explain what is going on here.

Sarcochilus falcatus - the Orange-blossom Orchid.
These are at Cambewarra Mountain.

Sarcochilus falcatus - the Orange-blossom Orchid.

Sarcochilus falcatus - the Orange-blossom Orchid.
Growing on the side of a Blackwood Wattle.

Dagger orchid clump clinging to the bark, and Rock Felt Ferns
Dockrillia pugioniformis

Dagger Orchid - as close as I can get to them.
Dockrillia pugioniformis

These Prasophyllum brevilabre were doing very well, in an area down in the lower end of the Kangaroo Valley where there had been a "burn-off" the previous season.

This accords with the reputation of many of these Leek Orchids as benefitting from  a burn-off. Given that I had just come from seeing a related plant (below) which was barely able to hold its flower stem together, I was impressed with how well these plants were doing. It tends to confirm the "do well after a fire" theory.

  

Prasophyllum brevilabreShort-lipped Leek orchid

Prasophyllum brevilabreShort-lipped Leek orchid

Prasophyllum brevilabreShort-lipped Leek orchid

These tall Leek Orchids were in very bad condition, reflecting the obvious dry season we are having here (south from Sydney). This plant stem had grown then snapped over. Others had shrivelled without opening any flowers. The only healthy plants I saw were several "smart" ones which had not attempted to flower. They were doing OK.

Prasophyllum elatum
Tall Leek Orchid

One thing to note, the Epiphytic Orchids of Upper Kangaroo Valley are not yet in flower. That includes the same species as here - Sarcochilus falcatus, and also the Dockrillia linguiformis

Barking up the Wrong Tree?

I went bush with Bob Mesibov, a Millipede expert from Tasmania, yesterday. Bob visited Robertson 3 years ago, in search of another "long-lost Millipede". 

This visit, we went down to Barrengarry Nature Reserve, initially, to have a quick look, because Bob was chasing a particular Millipede which had originally been recorded from "Barrengarry". That name could refer to anywhere between Robertson (where the Barrengarry Creek rises), to Kangaroo Valley (where it drops into the lower level of the Valley); or if one goes by the road names, anywhere from Fitzroy Falls road down to Kangaroo Valley. So I opted to show Bob around the various bits of the "Barrengarry area", and let him tell me which areas were most likely to suit his Millipede friends.

Then, seeing as he was here, all the way from Tasmania, I wanted to show him a few other places which, because they were such good areas of wet forest, might also suit other Millipedes. So after we had scouted out a few likely locations within the general Barrengarry area, we went to Leebold Hill Road, on Cambewarra Mountain.

We got wet, wet, wet. 

Bob found a fair number of Millipedes - "wild, native Millipedes" not the annoying feral ones. Many of these are tiny things living in the guts of old fallen trees - rotting logs on the ground. They play an important part in breaking down the vegetation.

Some of these things, Bob explained to me, like to live under leaf litter, and during the day, they will hide under rolls of shed Eucalypt bark, or even under bark on a fallen trunk or branch.

In fact it was so wet, on top of Cambewarra Mountain, that he discovered the best locations were off the ground, on a dead or dying tree. As the tree dies, the bark separates from the stem or trunk, creating hidey-holes for Millipedes.

While we were searching likely spots, I came across these "critters", hiding out under the bark of a branch of a Blackwood Wattle (Acacia melanoxylon).

It was dark, under the heavy tree canopy, and my glasses were not functioning, as they were covered in steam and drops of water. So I could not see very well when I lifted back a piece of loose bark.

I saw movement,  a kind of horizontal shuffling movement. I assume they were Spiders, but they turned out to be a flat kind of Cricket - clearly designed to live under the limited spaces between loose bark and the tree trunk - just where they were.

I gently lowered the bark back where it was, and went to get the Camera out of the car (as it had been way too wet for me to carry the camera about all day). Ten minutes later, Bob lifted the bark for me, and I fired off a few shots, and this is what was going on in under that loose sheet of bark.

The male (on the right) has really long, fine antennae.

In the original image, I can just make out that

the antennae of the male reaches up to 

beyond the tail of the female.
It must be about three times the length of his body.

Click these images to enlarge them, 

to see the insects in full detail

Female "Bark Cricket", left (Tathra oligoneura)
in middle is a "Bark Cockroach" Laxta sp
on right is a male Bark Cricket (with small wings).

 Click these images to enlarge them, 

to see the insects in full detail.

Head of the female Bark Cricket (Tathra oligoneura)

Strange creatures. Brown, and mottled. 

The female has a really long ovipositor (its egg-laying tube).

The tip of the antenna of the male (out of picture, to the right)

can be seen bent across the tail of the female,

behind her back leg.
Amazing, because he is out of frame, yet his antennae is

clearly visible.
Relative to his body length his Antennae are really long.

 Click these images to enlarge them, 

to see the insects in full detail

Rear end of female Bark Cricket (Tathra oligoneura)
note the long, spiny "ovipositor" in middle
between the two wide-spread "cerci"
She has lost a leg, something which had occurred naturally.

  

The male has two half-formed wings*** (see comment below). 

There's clearly not a lot of flying going on where they live, under the bark.

 

Click these images to enlarge them,

 to see the insects in full detail

Looking at the male Bark Cricket (on the right)
Tathra oligoneura - note the very long antennae
and the flattened body.
Distinctive blotched appearance on legs.

Strangely (to my eyes) the male has really long antennae. 

About three times as long as its body. 

There is an E-Book "Australian Crickets"
by Otte and Alexander.

On P. 255 it lists Tathra oligoneura, as being recorded 

in central coast and northern NSW

 and notes it as a "Wet Forest" Cricket.

Dave Rentz has subsequently confirmed my ID of this Cricket

and has told me that in his experience 

it is "common at Bawley Point"

that is south, between Nowra and Batemans Bay.

So my Crickets were "in range". Good news.

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

Post Script:Cricket chasing by torch light.

Tonight I went into the 

Robertson Nature Reserve with Bob Mesibov

looking for various arthropods which he assured me 

"would be out and about after dark"

How right he was.

We found lots of Millipedes, 

and some of this same species of Cricket.

Much to my amazement,

the male Crickets use their wings for display purposes.

*** (Referring back to comment above)

They hold them upright in the middle of their backs,

It totally changes their appearance and profile.
They no longer look "flat" when their back is

made to stand out by having two cross-ways flaps extended

which is the effect when the wings are held vertically.

They look quite impressive, really, even to my eyes.

We also found some Flat Worms and a number of Semi-Slugs

(which I have seen and photographed before).

They are lichen and fungi eaters 

so they cruise around at night on the

trunks of trees, devouring any moss or lichen growth 

and on occasions they will browse on some fungi.

They are really snails with a reduced shell

which sits across the middle of their back

like a casually dressed Frenchman might wear his beret, 

on a slight angle.

Cryptostylis erecta (the Bonnet Orchid, or Tartan Orchid)

Cryptostylis erecta is a Tongue Orchid, but it is better known as the "Bonnet Orchid", or the "Tartan Orchid".

It tends to grow in coastal areas, but is known to occur in the Blue Mountains as well. But when I went out with Alan Stephenson the other day, to Leebold Hill (Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve) above Kangaroo Valley, I  said to Alan that I was hoping to find the Bonnet Orchid. It may occur in my immediate area of Robertson/Kangaloon/Fitzroy Falls, but I do not know of it growing there. Hence my interest in looking for it, on the wonderful high ridge above Cambewarra, and Kangaroo Valley. The habitat is similar to my local sandstone plateau areas, but it is warmer and wetter over there. The altitude is similar, but the Shoalhaven Valley region has a climate all of its own.

One can see why it earns both common names.

Bonnet Orchid, for the shape,

and Tartan Orchid for the colour and patterns.

Bonnet Orchid Cryptostylis erecta

Here it is, as I first found it.

It is growing in moist mossy soil, amongst grasses and rushes

over a shallow rock shelf (exposed rocks in background).

Bonnet Orchid Cryptostylis erecta

A closer view, to show the shape of the flowers.

Bonnet Orchid Cryptostylis erecta

Here is another close-up of the flower.

Add caption

It is appropriate to mention that this species is the main one featured in that Video I linked to last week, about "sexual deception" of Wasps by Orchids. Video by Macquarie University people (as named in the Video credits). That previous post was primarily about a related plant Cryptostylis subulata

And just for the record, the botanical illustration on the PlantNET site, for this species, Cryptostylis erecta actually illustrates the pollination process in detail.

Click on image to see in full size. 

Note the wasp pollinating the top-right flower, 

and the "reproductive organs" of the flower drawn in detail.

Original sketch by L. Elkan.

Botanical illustration for Cryptostylis erecta (courtesy of PlantNET)

Beard Orchids (Calochilus sp)

The "Beardies" are coming into bloom.

This is the Red Beard Orchid, Calochilus paludosus.

Its specific name means "swamp-liking", as seemed appropriate for this specimen, which was growing amongst rushes on a "soak", high on Leebold Hill at Red Rock Reserve (top of Cambewarra Range), above Kangaroo Valley. But it can also be found on dry sandstone slopes in Kangaloon.

As these flowers mature (especially in warm weather) the dorsal sepals of this species will open virtually to a reflex position (almost lying flat - backwards).

All of these images might need to be clicked on, to enlarge them, to see the details.

Calochilus paludosus - Red Beard Orchid - side view

Calochilus paludosus - Red Beard Orchid - note the golden base of the labellum

This next species was previously known as Calochilus robertsonii, but has now been re-named.

Calochilus platychilus - Purple Beard Orchid

Calochilus platychilus - Purple Beard Orchid

Calochilus platychilus - low angle view to show the column details.

Calochilus paludodus showing the fully reflexed dorsal sepal

 This plant was photographed yesterday at Douglas Park,

above the Nepean River,

at the St Mary's Tower monastery..

It does also grow at Kangaloon and in Kangaroo Valley.
The third local species is the "Copper Beard Orchid" 
Calochilus campestris.

Calochilus campestris - note the large "nose" (the column)

Calochilus campestris has two dark, flattened plates high on the labellum

A Blue-tongued Lizard and a Bird Orchid

Further up the hill from the spot where the Petalochilus hillmanii are growing (on Cambewarra Range) I had found leaves of what were likely to be Bird Orchids. I have not reported these, as there has been no previous record of this species here. One was budding, so I figured I ought wait till it flowered, to get a positive ID.

Well, yesterday, I took Alan up that ridge to show him what I had found so far, up there. I mean, in addition to the Tall Leek Orchids I have reported on from this spot.

We pulled off the road and straight away I found my path blocked by this magnificent specimen of a Blue-tongued Lizard. It clearly felt little urge to move out of my way. It was soaking up the warmth from the hard, hot soil.

Blue-tongue Lizard soaking up the warmth

This is the close-up of this Lizard. Uncharacteristically it made no attempt to hiss at me,  nor to attempt to  scare me with its spectacular blue tongue. I was actually hope it would do that, as the light was perfect for photography..

This Blue-tongue just tried to out-stare me.

Anyway, we eventually persuaded the Blue-tongue to scurry off the road, to safety. Then we went looking for the Bird Orchids.

After showing Alan the leaves of  known plants of that species, we then browsed for other possible plants. This strategy was rewarded with one plant in flower, and another advanced bud. This allowed us to make a positive ID of that species. Illawarra Bird Orchid - Simpliglottis chlorantha

These plants are "within range" and they do like to grow at this altitude. But they have not been reported from this locality before. They have been reported from the Budderoo Plateau (to the north) and from the Budawangs (to the south). So it is nice to be able to "fill in the gaps" in the range of this species of Orchid.

Illawarra Bird Orchid - Simpliglottis chlorantha

Here is another shot of the entire plant.

Two leaves and the open flower of Illawarra Bird Orchid.

So, yet another Orchid species for the list from this extraordinary locality.

Petalochilus hillmanii at 600 metres altitude, not just at sea level.

This species has previously been recorded officially as a "coastal" plant (meaning low altitude only). I have today received confirmation from Alan Stephenson that plants I found several days ago at Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve are in fact Petalochilus hillmanii. I have previously reported these plants from the Myola area and from Callala, in the Jervis Bay area.

Alan agreed to meet me at the site this morning. I can now confirm that there is no doubt about it. Petalochilus hillmanii has been positively identified as growing in the damp peaty soil found under a powerline easement which runs to a Telstra communications tower on Cambewarra Range at an altitude of approximately 600 metres above sea level.

long range habitat view to the Telstra Radio Tower

The habitat immediately around these plants is dense head-high Melaleuca thicket (with Eucalypts in the drier ridges, away from the Meleleuca thicket). But the Orchids are only visible along the slashed powerline easement, which is covered with various wet-land plants such as various rush-like things, Tall Sundews, and lots of alpine swamp-loving species of Xanthorrhoea (Grass Trees). The base soil underneath his dense peaty soil is obviously sandy soil over a rock shelf.  

To explain about the habitat, anyone who knows Cambewarra Mountain would assume this is rainforest habitat. Although such habitat does exist close by, on the same mountain (though mostly on basalt soil) this habitat is a moist soak, over sandstone. It is akin to a "Upland Swamp", but with Melaleuca thicket instead of sedge and rush plants. Once the Melaleuca plants were slashed to create the powerline easement, then the rush-like plants have established as the dominant plant form. This has also allowed the Orchids and Sundews and many low heath plants to colonise this area.

Petalochilus hillmanii

A mid-pink from of Petalochilus hillmanii. The "dark eye" is visible from a distance

A dual-flowered stem of Petalochilus hillmanii

A beautiful pale form of Petalochilus hillmanii

The same Petalochilus hillmanii flower close-up

Orchid pollinia stuck on the tip of the dorsal sepal

a very beautiful form of Petalochilus hillmanii

Sign indicating the beginning of Nature Reserve.

Despite that sign, the the local people know this area as Red Rocks Nature Reserve. It shows up that way, on Google Maps of the area.

Tall Leek Orchid - Prasophyllum elatum

Ten days ago I found a group of Leek Orchids with half-formed flower buds along nearly black flower stems. I guessed that they would open up to be Prasophyllum elatum - the Tall Leek Orchid.

Anyway, I went back yesterday to check their progress. 

The plants I had originally found were not properly open 

(but they were recognisable as being this species). 

Dark stems of Prasophyllum elatum - not yet open

Fortunately I found another group of these lovely flowers, fully open. 

Prasophyllum elatum full stem view

These plants are growing in deep sandy soil on top of Cambewarra Mountain. They are growing in a semi-open heathland shrubbery, not in the rainforest one sees on that same hill, from the main road between Kangaroo Valley and Nowra. Obviously it is a very high rainfall area, but the sandstone provides excellent drainage.

Here is a shot of one of the flower spikes.

Flower spike of a Tall Leek Orchid - Prasophyllum elatum

Close-up of flowers of Prasophyllum elatum.

It seems that the Leek Orchid family of plants are much slower to flower in the Southern Highlands than they are on the Shoalhaven Valley and on the coast around Jervis Bay (where some of the Leek Orchids have already finished flowering).

Cambewarra is an interesting location, in that it is nearly at the same altitude as Kangaloon, but its proximity to the warm coastal plain seems to bring forward the flowering time, relative to the same species at Kangaloon (where they are yet to flower). So altitude (and proximity to the coast) appear to give a considerable delay to flowering time, in Springtime flowering Orchids.

******