Christmas Bells

Christmas Bells
Christmas Bells - Blandfordia nobilis

Monday, May 23, 2011

Acianthus fornicatus - "Pixie Caps" - regular and green forms

Here is a regular coloured form of Acianthus fornicatus. It is also known as "Pixie Caps", because of its delicate shape and fine texture. Unfortunately, this flower is nearly invisible in the bush, because much of the flower is transparent. 

I find that I see the leaf, which is a flat, heart-shaped leaf, long before I see the flower itself. Spot the leaf and then look for the flowers, is the normal routine with Acianthus plants.

These plants were growing in the same area where I photographed the Petalochilus pictus, shown yesterday, from the Jervis Bay district.


Acianthus fornicatus - regular colour form
 Here it is again seen from the front.
The column is clearly visible in this shot, 
But one seldom gets to see this detail.
That's why I use flash to get the images.
Click on the image to see the full detail.
Acianthus fornicatus - showing the semi-transparent "Pixie Cap"
 Here is the lovely and unusual green form of this same species.
It is known as an "alba" form, which amounts to it being without pigment.
However, it does have chlorophyll, which is all that remains to give it colour.
Alba forms of many Orchids are known, but they tend to be unusual.
I have seen alba forms of  other Orchids before, but not often.
They tend to be found together, 
presumably because of a genetic variation,
which has been inherited by all the plants in the group.

The two forms, natural and green, were growing close to eachother, 
but the green forms are found only in a massed single colony.
Acianthus fornicatus - alba form.
  Here is the full stem of one of the "alba" form plants.
Acianthus fornicatus - alba form. A full stem of flowers.
 Click to enlarge, to see the dense growth of this colony of plants.
The colony of the green Acianthus fornicatus - alba form plants.







9 comments:

Flabmeister said...

Denis

Oh no! Just when I thought my eye was 'in' sufficiently to be able to find something less flamboyant than Dendrobium speciosum. Now 'they' have developed transparent orchids!

Very well done to have found the patch.

Martin

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this Denis. Our bushcare group has named a track on one of our sites the Pixie Track in honour of this little cutie.
Wendy

Denis Wilson said...

Hi Martin
Well, at least these don't live down cliff-faces.
The Green form are actually more easily seen than the "normal" coloured ones.
Cheers
Denis

Denis Wilson said...

Hi Wendy
That's good to know - about the track named in their honour.
They are strongly represented on the coast, it seems.
Up here on the Highlands we mostly get the smaller Ac. exsertus. This one is all-together a bigger and better flower to look at.
I have never managed to explore the charms of Ulladulla. One of these days, hopefully.
Cheers
Denis

Wilma said...

Lovely little jewels, Denis, as were yesterdays. An impressive feat to get such good photos of those little ones!

cheers,
wilma

Anonymous said...

saw lots of both forms at Sussex the other week, that and the Petalochilus picta too. There were even a few Eriochilus hanging on still

Kirsten

Denis Wilson said...

Thanks Wilma and Kirsten.
Gosh, Kirsten don't tell people that they're "common". I'm trying to make out that they're special.
Besides, until you show me your "special place" at Sussex Inlet, I refuse to believe a word of it.
... hint, hint.
That section of coast seems to be "ripe" just now.
Its pretty quiet up on the Highlands just now. But I learnt of another "rock shelf" area yesterday out above Tallowa Dam - which was great. Ph. daintreanas galore.
Cheers
Denis

Flabmeister said...

Denis

Tsk, tsk. Surely "common" things can also be "special"?

While we lived in Tanzania I dismissively uttered the phrase "Only an Impala." I was very swiftly reminded of how exciting we'd found them at the beginning of our time there, and how we had spent over an hour watching one give birth!

Martin

Denis Wilson said...

Thank you Martin for the apporpriate chiding.
I felt awful making the comment, att he time.
Your note makes me realise what was wrong with my "mind set".
Of course they're "special" every damned one of them.
Cheers
Denis