Penrose and Tallong Cemeteries

Today I went with some local botanical artists to see some of the local Orchids which survive with little disturbance at Penrose Cemetery and Tallong Cemetery. This year was drier than in previous years, and so, many of the orchids had finished flowering already. And at Tallong the Goulburn-Mulwarree Council mowers had destroyed the famous collection of purple Diuris plants there. Alan Stephenson was less than impressed, as he had an arrangement with the Parks and Gardens supervisor; except that chap had moved jobs, and had not left a file note for the new incumbent.

But here are some of the Orchids we did find. And an unusual "flower Spider".

Thelymitra pauciflora

Side view of the column of
Thelymitra pauciflora
These flowers were heavily reflexed
in the warm, sunny weather

Purple Bearded Orchid
Calochilus platychilus
(formerly known as Cal. robertsonii)

two flowers of Calochilus platychilus

Thelymitra ixioides
Spotted Sun Orchid

Diuris sulphurea
Tiger Donkey Orchid

Two forms of Purple Diuris
Diuris punctata
from Tallong (left) and Penrose (right)

Spotted spider on Daviesia latifolia.

Pink form of Thelymitra pauciflora

Better weather, better photos of Bird Orchids

Following on from yesterday's post on the Bird Orchids on the Budderoo Plateau, the weather was better today (at least not raining), and the flowers were one day more mature, and hence more open.

We found this particularly fine plant today,

just begging to be photographed.

Illawarra Bird Orchid - Simpliglottis chlorantha

While waiting to take these photos, I noticed that the labellum 

is very subject to movement on the wind.

These plants have a hinge in the labellum stalk.

The movement of the labellum was quite noticeable.

Here is a close-up shot of the osmophores (scent glands)

on the labellum of one of the flowers.

Compare the real thing 

with the botanical illustration below, (from PlantNET)

Labellum detail of the Illawarra Bird Orchid ("osmophores" or scent glands)

Unless you actually see these strange scent glands, 

it is hard to imagine that they are real. 

They look like green and red dobs of jelly, 

but are more solid than they look.

Illawarra Bird Orchid - Botanical illustration from PlantNET

As a fringe benefit, I realised that there was tiny Flower Spider 

hiding up inside the column of one of these Bird Orchid flowers.

The yellow pollinia sacs are the point where

the Orchid needs a pollinator to come to. 

And that's where the Spider is waiting!

Flower Spider waiting besides the yellow pollinia of the Bird Orchid

Cunning little things, aren't they?
It was tiny - not much bigger than a match-head.

Flower Spiders love Orchids

HAVING SEEN HOW SLOW MY BLOG IS TO DOWNLOAD ON A FRIEND'S COMPUTER (EVEN THOUGH HE IS ON BROADBAND) I HAVE DECIDED TO UPLOAD IMAGES AT MUCH LOWER COMPRESSION, BUT STILL AT THE STANDARD SIZES I HAVE BEEN USING FOR A LONG TIME, WHICH IS 1000 PIXELS WIDE, OR 600 PIXELS FOR SMALLER IMAGES. THE FILE SIZES WILL BE ABOUT 100 Kb.

HOPEFULLY THIS WILL ALLOW REASONABLE VIEWING, WITH MUCH FASTER DOWNLOAD SPEEDS.

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On Sunday, when out with the Illawarra Branch of the Australasian Native Orchid Society, I twice saw specimens of the Pink Flower Spider Diaea evanida.

The first was sitting very boldly on a lovely specimen of a white form of Diuris punctata, the Purple Donkey Orchid.

Here she is, front on.

Much later in the day, we found one sitting, with bee it had captured.

It was on a specimen of the Kangaloon Sun Orchid, at Butler's Swamp. I did not see it on the flower, but someone brought the spider, complete with its "lunch", for the group to admire.
The Spider (still with its prey) was put back on the plant.