Hymenochilus mutica

Hymenochilus mutica - Midget Greenhood in the Pilliga

Name change: Hymenochilus mutica used to be known as Pterostylis mutica.

Family: Orchidaceae

Common name: Midget Greenhood

Flowers: 4 to 20 small green flowers, each about 1cm long. The upper part of the flower forms a small blunt hood and the lower sepals form a shallow 'pouch'. The small green lip has a prominent green recurved appendage visible when the labellum is set ready for potential pollinators. If the labellum is triggered by movement larger than the tiny insects that pollinate this flower, the labellum springs up to protect it's pollen, and then 're-sets' itself again ready for a prospective pollinator. Flowers chiefly between July and October.

Leaves and stem: The basal rosette of 5 to 12 crowded ovate green leaves can sometimes be withered by the time the flowers emerge. The central scape (stem) can reach 35cm in height, and  has several stem-hugging sheaths.

Habit: Hymenochilus mutica is a tuberous perennial herb which can occur as a single plant, a loose group, or many scattered plants.

Habitat: In the Pilliga region the Midget Greenhood occurs in open woodland and grassy forests. It is also found up and down eastern NSW, and in Qld, Vic, Tas, SA, WA.

Rosette of basal leaves of Midget Greenhood

Habit and habitat in the Pilliga

Flower with the labellum set ready for a potential pollinator

Labellum of same flower triggered by my interference

More information:

Pollination of Midget Greenhood - excellent images

Pollination of Greenhood Orchids - information

Pterostylis seed biology and ecology - information

Calochilus robertsonii

Calochilus robertsonii - Purplish Beard Orchid

Family: Orchidaceae

Common name: Purplish Beard Orchid

Flowers: 2 to10 flowers, about 35mm long, and green with red or purple stripes. The upper part of the labellum (or tongue) is thickly covered with purple-red glands while the lower section has long thick purple-red hairs ending in a bare slender tip. Flowers Oct and Nov.

Leaves and stem: One linear basal dark green channelled leaf up to 30cm long and 1cm wide. Stem is slender, grey-green and up to 40cm high.

Habit: Calochilus robertsonii is a deciduous terrestrial orchid. It grows singly or in loose groups. This orchid is said to emit pheromones from the labellum, sexually attracting large male Scollid Wasps that collect or transfer pollen whilst attempting to mate with the flower. This is sexual deception at it's best as the flower has no nectar as a reward.

Habitat: In the Pilliga Forests Calochilus robertsonii occurs in open woodland. It also grows on the north western, central western and south western slopes and plains, as well as coastal heaths. It occurs in all Australian States and territories.

Calochilus robertsonii - Purplish Beard Orchid

Upper side of leaf of Calochilus robertsonii

Under side of leaf of Calochilus robertsonii

More information:

Orchid pollination

Thelymitra pauciflora

Thelymitra pauciflora - Slender Sun Orchid in the Pilliga Forests

Family: Orchidaceae

Common name: Slender Sun Orchid

Flower and stem: Thelymitra pauciflora varies from a slender plant with 2 or 3 small flowers to a larger plant about 50cm high with numerous flowers. The flower is bluish, with white to bluish column, topped with yellow. Column arms are tipped with tufts of dense white hairs. They have a single fleshy grass-like basal leaf about 20mm wide by 20cm long. It flowers from late winter to mid summer.

Habit: Thelymitra are perennial ground orchids that die back to underground tubers during the hot dry months. Flowers only open on sunny warm days, staying closed on cloudy days.

Habitat: Thelymitra pauciflora will grow in a variety of conditions, usually as individuals or loose groups. In the Pilliga it can be found in rock crevices and ridge gravel where water seeps in the growing season. It could also grow in open woodland. The Slender Sun Orchid is also found in coastal heaths of NSW, and in Qld, Vic, Tas, WA, and SA.

Bud of Slender Sun Orchid

Top side of leaf of Thelymitra pauciflora

Underside of leaf of Thelymitra pauciflora

More information:
Taxonomy of Thelymitra 

 

Glossodia major

Glossodia major - Waxlip Orchid

Family: Orchidaceae

Common name: Large Waxlip Orchid

Flower: Flowers are 3 to 4cm in diameter but may reach 6cm. Flower segments are mauve to purple becoming white near their bases. The short ovate labellum is white and pubescent in the basal half, purple to mauve in the upper half, it's base crossed by a 2-lobed yellow projection formed by the fused heads of 2 purple calli. There is generally one flower per stem. Flowering period Sept to Nov.

Leaf and stem: Glossodia major grows to 20cm or more in height, with a single basal leaf reaching 10cm in length and 1.5cm in width, all being covered in short hairs.

Habit: Single plants to scattered plants, occasionally massed after good rain.

Habitat: Glossodia major is a terrestrial orchid endemic to eastern Australia, found in open forest and woodland in the Pilliga Forests district. (Also in heath on coast. West and east of the Great Dividing range in NSW, Qld, Victoria, also found in Tas and SA.)

Glossodia major - Waxlip Orchid

notice dense hairs on the underside and stem

The single basal leaf is also covered in fine hairs

Complete list of Flora of the Pilliga

I am using the list compiled from various sources by Leo Butler (2009) for the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Where I have posted entries of plants, I have linked them to this list.

# Rare or threatened species
* Exotic species (weed or introduced species)
Blue = plant that I have found that is not in the original list

PAGE 2

FERNS AND FERN ALLIES
Line 01 Anogramma leptophylla [Adiantaceae]
         2 Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia
         3 Cheilanthes distans
         4 N/A
         5 Cheilanthes sieberi subsp. sieberi
         6 Asplenium flabellifolium [Aspleniaceae]
         7 Pleurosorus rutifolius
         8 Pleurosorus subglandulosus
         9 Marsilea costulifera [Marsileaceae]
       10 Marsilea drummondii
       11 Marsilea hirsuta
       12 Ophioglossum lusitanicum [Ophioglossaceae]
CYCADS
       14 Macrozamia diplomera [Zamiaceae]
       15 Macrozamia glaucophylla
       16 Macrozamia heteromera
       17 Macrozamia polymorpha
       18 Macrozamia stenomera
       19 Macrozamia ssp.
CONIFERS
       21 Callitris endlicheri [Cupressaceae]
      22 Callitris glaucophylla
MONOCOTYLEDONS
      24 Damasonium minus [Alismataceae]
      25 crinum flaccidum [Amaryllidaceae]


PAGE 3

Line 01 Arthropodium milleflorum [Anthericacea]
         2 Arthropodium minus
         3 N/A
         4 Caesia parviflora
         5 Laxmannia gracilis
         6 Stypandra glauca
         7 Thysanotus patersonii
         8 Thysanotus tuberosus
         9 Tricoryne elatior
        10 Bulbine bulbosa [Asphodeliaceae]
        11 Bulbine semibarbata
        12 Centrolepis eremica [Centrolepidacae]
        13 N/A
        14 Centrolepis strigosa subsp. strigosa
        15 Wurmbea biglandulosa [Colchicaceae]
        16 Wurmbea dioica
        17 Commelina cyanea [Commelinaceae]
        18 Murdannia graminea
        19 Baumea juncea [Cyperaceae]
        20 Bulbostylis barbata
        21 Bulbostylis pyriformis
        22 Carex appressa
        23 Carex breviculmis
        24 Carex incomitata
        25 Carex inversa
        26 Carex tereticaulis
        27 Caustis flexuosa
        28 Cyperus alterniflorus
        29 Cyperus betchei subsp. betchei
        30 Cyperus castaneus
        31 Cyperus concinnus #
        32 Cyperus conicus
        33 Cyperus difformis
        34 Cyperus eragrostis
        35 Cyperus flaccidus
        36 Cyperus fulvus
        37 Cyperus gracilis
        38 Cyperus gunnii subsp. gunnii
        39 Cyperus gymnocaulos
        40 Cyperus leiocaulon
        41 Cyperus lucidus
        42 Cyperus polystachyos
        43 Cyperus sanguinolentus
        44 Cyperus sphaeroideus
        45 Cyperus squarrosus
        46 Cyperus subulatus
        47 Cyperus trinervis
        48 Cyperus vaginatus


 

Lomandra leucocephala subsp. leucocephala

Male flowers

Family:  Lomandraceae

Common name: Woolly Mat Rush, Irongrass.

Flowers: Inflorescences are shorter than the leaves. Male inflorescences are arranged in 2 or 3 globose segments to one stem. There is generally only one female inflorescence per stem. Flowers mainly from July to September. [Note: at this point I believe there are separate male and female plants, but I will do some more observation, and record findings here.]

Leaves: Leaves are up to about 50cm high (but often much shorter) and 2 to 3mm wide with white leaf margins readily separating into loose silky or wooly 'strings'.

Habit: Upright or spreading tussock, single or scattered plants.

Habitat: Lomandra leucocephala subsp. leucocephala grows in dry schlerophyll forests on sandy soils or rocky slopes in the Pilliga and throughout northwest and central western NSW, extending into similar habitat in southwestern Qld.

Female flowers

Close-up of female flowers

Silky strings on leaves

Lomandra leucocephala ssp leucocephala on sandy soil in the Pilliga

Acacia deanei subsp. deanei

Terminal or axillary racemes of pale yellow flowers

Family: Mimosoideae

Common name: Dean's Wattle

Flowers: Inflorescences are terminal or axillary racemes, cream to yellow, rarely more than 5.5mm diameter. The main flowering period is March to August, but can flower at any time of the year.

Leaves: Bipinnate (fern-like) leaves (up to about 3.5cm long) are made up of many small leaflets (pinnules) along a central stalk. Colour is pale grey-green. At the base of each pair of leaflets is a small gland.

Seed pods: Ripe seed pods are brown to dark brown, straight to slightly curved, with irregular constrictions between the shiny black seeds. There will often be countless split pods beneath trees.

Habit: Relatively drought and frost tolerant, Acacia deanei subsp. deanei thrives in dry conditions on a variety of soil types. It is fast growing and can become weedy, overtaking other vegetation. It is multi-stemmed from or near ground level and can grow to 5mts tall to form a neat compact bush or a spindly straggly shrub. Generally, it is not a particularly attractive acacia.

Habitat: Acacia deanei subsp. deanei is widespread in central NSW, extending to inland parts of southern Queensland on plains, slopes and tablelands. In the Pilliga it is common on roadsides and in woodlands.

Grey-green bipinnate leaves with tiny gland at base of each pair of leaflets

Flattened stems with alternate branchlets

Unripened seed pods, and ripe seed pod with seed

Spindly habit in woodland where shaded by taller trees

More information

Distinctive features of acacia

The Acacia Genus

INDEX - Introduced plants - weeds

Family Papaveraceae

• Papaver somniferum subsp. setigerum - Opium Poppy, Wild Poppy

 Family Scrophulariaceae

•  Linaria arvensis -  Linaria

INDEX - Proteaceae

Family - Proteaceae

Grevillea - there are 6 species of Grevillea recorded in the Pilliga Forests

• Grevillea floribunda subsp. floribunda - Seven Dwarfs Grevillea

Isopogon - there is 1 species of Isopogon recorded in the Pilliga Forests

• Isopogon petiolaris - Spreading Cone Bush, Drumsticks

INDEX - Miscellaneous trees

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