Two great days of Orchid-hunting in Shoalhaven

My friends often look at me in surprise when I refer to going looking for Orchids in "Nowra". It really is just that Nowra is a convenient label to use for the district, but some, many of these Orchids are within a few kilometres of Nowra's centre.

Some areas are a bit further out of town, at Callala Bay (on Jervis Bay) and others in the bush between Nowra and the Bay.

The surprise stems from the fact that most people see the forests around Nowra as "wasteland", empty, and of no interest to anybody. How wrong these impressions are can be seen from the following photos taken over the last two days. At this time of year "Nowra" is a treasure-land of orchids.

Dockrillia teretifolia
on Casuarina tree at Callala Bay

Dockrillia teretifolia
on Casuarina tree at Callala Bay

Lovely colony of Glossodia major at Bamerang Powerlines.

Powder-blue coloured
Glossodia major
at Bamerang powerlines

Pure white specimen of
Glossodia major
at Bamerang powerlines

Strikingly beautiful magenta flowered specimen of
Glossodia minor
at Depot Road powerline easement.

Look closely (click on image)
Glossodia flowers everywhere
under and around Alan's feet.

Lyperanthus suaveolens

Diagnostic shot of Lyperanthus suaveolens leaf 
(underneath view).

Petalochilus alatus
side view to show colour inside labellum

Petalochilus alatus
Front on view to show angle of lateral petals
(held out wide)

.

Petalochilus carneus - possible hybrid
no colour inside
or outside labellum or column
Diagonal view of front.

Petalochilus carneus -
classic colour form
Contrast with image above,
found in same area as this plant.

Petalochilus fuscatus
seen on Depot Road, Nowra

Petalochilus hillmanii
At Myola (Jervis Bay).

It is such a joy, after a long cold winter,
to find these colourful little gems
Petalochilus hillmanii

Another grouping of
Petalochilus hillmanii

A late-season flower of
Petalochilus pictus
which is normally a winter flowerer.
Benton Sands (Jervis Bay)

Possible Petalochilus catenatus
Benton Sands (Jervis Bay)

Possible Petalochilus catenatus
Benton Sands (Jervis Bay)
note the clear throat (of column)

Prasophyllum brevilabre
Coonamia Rd, Culburra

Pterostylis baptistii
Coonamia Rd, Culburra, NSW.
This is a huge flower for a Greenhood.

King Greenhood
Pterostylis baptistii

Juvenile flower of  Pterostylis baptistii

Pterostylis curta
Blunt Greenhood

Colony of mixed Pterostylis curta
and Pt. erecta hybrids

Pterostylis erecta
on Barrengarry Mtn

Pterostylis oblonga
at Myola (beside Currumbene Creek)

Pterostylis oblonga
at Myola (beside Currumbene Creek)

A nice red-brown form of
Pterostylis pedunculata at Culburra.

Rear view of strongly coloured
Pterostylis pedunculata at Culburra.
Note what I refer to as the "fat bottom".

Pyrorchis nigricans
This Orchid gets its botanical name "Fire Orchid"
from the fact that it tends to flower freely
after hot bushfires the previous summer.
these plants had not been burnt,
But they had been mowed down.
THIS IS MY FIRST EVER PHOTO
OF THIS SPECIES.

Leaves of Pyrorchis nigricans

possible hybrid Thelymitra X irregularis
The colour of the flower indicates a possible hybrid
from Thelymitra ixioides
The classic species is very common
in the powerline easement
at Depot Road, Nowra.