Spring Tiny Greenhood starts to flower.

On this plant you can pick your own name to use: 

• Spring Tiny Greenhood
• Speculantha vernalis (the "new name")
• Pterostylis vernalis (the old form of name for a new species, if you follow me).
• Pterostylis sp. Flat Rock Creek (the name under which it is "listed")

Speculantha vernalis

What you do need to know is that it is listed as critically endangered under both the Federal EPBC Act and the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act.

For that we can thank David Jones (who originally nominated it under the EPBC Act in 2006) and Alan Stephenson, the ANOS Conservation Officer, resident of Nowra, and my guide on Sunday who nominated the plant for NSW TSCA listing. 

On Sunday, Alan Stephenson and I went out to see if these plants were yet in flower. They had just started to flower, much to my satisfaction.

Neither of those formal websites shows any details of the plant, as both listings are quite recent, and the necessary public information has not yet been produced. But it has been "listed" formally on both sets of legislation. It is reported by Alan, in this ANOS publication as having been listed.

EPBC Act listing advice 9 February 2010.

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It is in the group known as Tiny Greenhoods. They were formerly grouped within the name of Pterostylis parviflora.

It differs from the other named species in that group by flowering in springtime and also by forming its leaf rosettes prior to flowering, whereas the other species in this group flower straight out of the ground with no leaves. In those species, the rosettes form when or after the flowers mature. Not so for Speculantha vernalis, as you can see here.

Leaf rosette of  Speculantha vernalis plus flower stem base visible

 Here is the flower seen from the rear.

rear view of  Speculantha vernalis

 Leaf rosettes of this Spring Tiny Greenhood.

This plant has a preference for growing 

on moss beds, 

sometimes on sandy soil under low shrubs, 

or otherwise on sandstone rock shelves.

Spring Tiny Greenhood in situ

  Multiple plants (leaf rosettes and some flowering)

Click to enlarge image

Speculantha vernalis in situ - multiple plants

Diplodium longipetalum at Douglas Park

Today Alan Stephenson and I went north, to Douglas Park and Thirlmere Lakes, to check out some plants I have seen recently at those localities.


Firstly Alan wanted to see some Speculanthas (Tiny Greenhoods) which I had found last week which were unusually tall (for Speculanthas), with "bunched flowers" - flowers all close towards the top of the stems.These features are not necessarily unusual in Speculanthas, but these features are unusual in the only known species in the Douglas Park area. We decided they were worth checking out more closely.

These plants were growing in grey sandy soil,

over a rock ledge some 50 metres above the Nepean River, 

some 500 metres up river from the "Twin Bridges" at Douglas Park.

Speculantha species growing in shallow pocket of sand over sandstone rock.

A horizontal view of the same colony of flowers

Speculantha colony in sandy pocket on rock - seen horiontally.

Note the bunching of the flowers at top of the stems.

Most of the Speculanthas I find 

have flowers well spaced along the stems.

Speculantha species - note the thin stems and flowers bunched at top of stems.

This solitary flower shows clearly the tiny stem bracts.

The shot was taken in late afternoon light

with the sun shining through the flower.

Speculantha species - fine stem tiny stem bracts.

The shot was taken in late afternoon light

with the sun shining through the flower.

Speculantha sp. This flower is "past it" with the lateral sepals starting to collapse.

A fresh flower - quite pale.

Note the "points" of the petals wrapping over the dorsal sepal.

The galea has a noticeable "ledge".

From the side the flower resembles a question mark.

Speculantha sp. Douglas Park

Today I took this shot of a fresh flower,

The points of the petals are wrapped over the "hood".

The flower is very narrow (not bulging) at the base.

The labellum is protruding noticeably.

(That is an unusual feature in Speculanthas, for which 

the labellum is generally hidden within the flower).

The front of the flower is "overblown" with flash - sorry.

Alan is collecting a set of images of many different forms of Speculanthas. We both feel that the plants which we keep finding are not yet fully distinguishable, based upon the species which have been formally named as yet. That's why I am referring to these plants simply as "Speculantha sp. Douglas Park".


After having located these plants which I had found last weekend, we decided to explore the area for other interesting things.


We walked along a track running parallel to the Hume Highway. Alan found a rocky outcrop with a sheet of moss on it, and in the middle of that was a cluster of small Greenhood rosettes.

Rosettes of Greenhoods.

We looked around and found another colony of similar Greenhood rosettes and two plants with flowers. They had a beautiful shape, nicely rounded in the "hood" and a filiform point on the dorsal sepal.


I have to tell you that I was just getting into position to get a profile shot of the side of the first flower, to show the labellum - which was beautifully set. Alan moved in to line up to photograph the second flower. Suddenly he managed to dislodge a stick on the ground, which hit both plants simultaneously. Suddenly the labellum on both flowers, had snapped closed and disappeared from view (almost entirely). Here is the first plant, now triggered closed, with the fine pointed labellum just ever-so-slightly protruding.

Bugger! 

To be fair, we have all accidentally triggered Greenhoods 

to close their labellums at times, 

but to trigger two to close at once requires talent.

I kept giving Alan heaps about that, 

during the subsequent walking and talking.

Diplodium longipetalum - a perfect flower. Labellum just protruding a tiny bit.

Having left the flowers alone, to see if they would re-set themselves (as they often do), we came back after about half an hour, and they were still "closed". 
Alan then redeemed himself, in my eyes, but using a fine twig to prise the labellum back its "set" position - fully protruding. Here is it - with the labellum reset by Alan.

So what species is it? The images which we took clearly matched the images of Diplodium longipetalum  also known as Pterostylis longipetala. This is yet another new species for me. And a lovely one it is, too.

Click to enlarge the image, 

to see the fine pointed labellum fully protruding.

Diplodium longipetalum - with Labellum in the "set" position.

 Here is one flower seen from above.

There is some brown colour on the hood.

One of the two points is facing forward, but

the fine "filiform" tip of the dorsal sepal is clearly visible from above.

Click to enlarge the image.

Diplodium longipetalum - seen from above.

 Here is the flower seen from the rear view.

Click to enlarge the image to see it properly.

I mentioned that we went to Thirlmere Lakes after Douglas Park. Unfortunately to recount our experiences there, would take too long for a single Blog posting, so I will hold that story over till next time.

Hunchback Orchids starting up in the Southern Highlands

I saw a budding Hunchback Orchid last week at Budderoo Plateau. But when I went back yesterday I could not find that plant. Perhaps a Wallaby or Wombat had eaten it as "lunch".

I did see several others (in flower) there, but they were not "out the open" (growing through shallow heath plants) so they were harder to photograph clearly.

Here are several plants I found at Manning Lookout (near Fitzroy Falls) today.

I really like the elegant lines of these flowers. 
The colour combination of deep red stripes 
over soft olive green base colour is very appealing.
The labellum is prominently creased
as well as being "reflexed" (bent upwards).

Mecopodum striatum - Eastern Hunchback Orchid

 The second flower in this pair has been disturbed somewhat, and the two pollen grains have been dislodged from their normal position. You can see on the left flower, the pollen grains are normally held under the column. Remember this Orchid, is now separated from the Leek Orchids (Prasophyllum) but is obviously closely related to them. Therefore, as with the Leek Orchids, its structure is "upside down" when compared to most Orchids. The dorsal sepal and column and hence the pollen grains are held low down in the flower. The labellum is the reflexed white organ which point up in the air.

Mecopodum striatum - Eastern Hunchback Orchid

Here is a single Speculantha I found there, too. A lovely specimen, but quite late flowering for this district. Alan still has Speculanthas in flower near Nowra, but the plants I know from Tourist Road have all finished flowering. I found other finished flowers today at the same location.

Speculantha sp aff parviflora - Sthn Highlands form.

This is a typical Southern Highlands form, albeit a very nicely coloured specimen. The "points" do not reach the top of the hood, much less exceed it. Click to enlarge the image, to discern what I am trying to describe. Look for the curving sepal held close beside the hood.

A new Tiny Greenhood - Speculantha ventricosa

This is a bit exciting - for me. It is my opportunity to be the first to Blog about a recently described species of Tiny Greenhood. Last Friday Alan Stephenson and I explored for other Orchids after our visit to Granite Falls. This is one of the species we found.

This is Speculantha ventricosa, described by David Jones in the September 2008 edition of The Orchadian, Vol 16 #1. (Cover and contents page only shown). Photos of this species, under this name, have been published on the Internet previously, by Alan Stephenson. Also it is referred to in this article by Alan re the Heritage Estate, near Vincentia, NSW. He has also nominated it as a Critically Endangered Species under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act. Its Draft Listing is under the old (more widely accepted) name Pterostylis ventricosa.


This species has previously been identified by way of descriptive names, such as Colin and Mischa Rowan's use of the phrase: "Speculantha sp. aff. parviflora - A Red Form" (The "sp aff" is shorthand for "Species close to, but separate from" Speculantha parviflora). Colin and Mischa have some very nice photos of this species, taken in the same district as today's plants, from south of Nowra. I have no doubt that his images and mine today, are of the same species. The difference is that after discussions and close examination of our photos from last Friday, and his earlier images of the plants which David Jones originally described, Alan has now gone back to David Jones to obtain confirmation that it is appropriate to name these plants with the name Speculantha ventricosa.

Here is a copy of the "recognition notes" 
from David Jones's original text  naming this species.

Click to enlarge text.

David Jones has confirmed the identification of these plants 

in a personal email to Alan Stephenson.

These plants differ from the similar plants found in Kangaloon which do not have the "points" (or ears) protruding above the top of the "hood" (galea).

1. My local tan coloured form has a shallow (non-protruding) sinus and "points" which do not rise above the "hood". The tip of the dorsal sepal is rounded, not pointed as in today's species, or the nominal species (linked below).
2. Another local plant is the true "nominal" species, Speculantha parviflora. It has a very prominent sinus (bulging out in front) and ears which reach but do not protrude above the hood.

The plants in today's post were found along the lower end of Twelve Mile Road (when we were on the way back from Granite Falls).

Firstly let us note the colour variation. 

These flowers open from the low end of the stem (bottom first).

As they age, these flowers tend to show a lighter orange-red colouring.

Speculantha ventricosa (near Nowra NSW)

This image shows the "Points" (ears).

These are the tips of the "lateral Sepals"

Speculantha ventricosa (near Nowra NSW)

This stem of flowers is fresh, and dark.

They show more green than the previous examples.

But the points are very noticeable.

Speculantha ventricosa (near Nowra NSW)

 This stem has four open flowers, and several yet to come.

Speculantha ventricosa (near Nowra NSW) 

Single flower cropped image

Points of the Lateral Sepals are curved over the "hood" (galea)

Speculantha ventricosa (near Nowra NSW) - single flower cropped

 Note the tip of the labellum is visible in this image.

That is unusual to see in these Tiny Greenhoods.

The point of the dorsal sepal is separated from the petals.

Speculantha ventricosa (near Nowra NSW) - single flower cropped

Here is a labelled image.

Note the pointed tip of the dorsal sepal
(the tip of the "hood" is pointed)

contrasted with my tan form from Kangaloon.
In that (linked) case the plant has a very heavily snubbed "nose".

(Click on photo to enlarge)

How much fun can one have on one day?

And there are the Corunastylis images yet to come.