Orchids


There are about 30,000 species of orchid worldwide making Orchidaceae the largest family of flowering plants. They are found in a diverse range of habitats.

Orchids have distinctive flowers, consisting of three sepals and three petals. The third petal is greatly modified into a specialised structure known as a labellum. Another distinctive feature is the column, a fusion of the sexual parts of the flower (stamens and style) into a fleshy structure. Most terrestrial orchids grow from a tuber which is replaced each year.

Some orchids are designated as rare and endangered plants. Others, although reasonably common, are very localised in their occurence. All orchids are protected species and should not be disturbed in their native habitat. For these reasons all orchids have been included as rare or sensitive plants.


Orchids

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Discussion

Yesterday
Thanks Ciaran.

Those words I provided for this sighting's authors.

Pterostylis nutans
Tapirlord wrote:
Yesterday
Flowering too late for hispidula. Also note the differences in floral structure

Pterostylis nutans
Yesterday
_Pterostylis nutans_ if "flower ca. 2.5 cm long, labellum 12–16 mm long"

Confer with _Pterostylis hispidula_ known from the NSW south-coast northwards,
having "flower ca. 1.5 cm long, labellum 9–13 mm long " .

Ref's (in brief, without citations):

• Flora of Vic. online VicFlora:
https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/key/2142
https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/9ee3e225-0053-4385-b1ab-cdccb79ccefe
.

• Flora of NSW online PlantNet:
https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=gn&name=Pterostylis
https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Pterostylis~hispidula
https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Pterostylis~nutans
.

Pterostylis nutans
Tapirlord wrote:
1 Jun 2025
Very likely A.exertus I agree but this is getting toward the range where I would hear an argument for A.pusillus. Might be best left at genus.

Acianthus sp.
22 May 2025
Not Flagellaria indica – inflorescence really different
(inflorescence means the compound structure of multiple flowers) .

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