Guide to Native Orchids of NSW and ACT

By Lachlan M. Copeland and Gary N. Backhouse

This comprehensive guide describes the 582 species of wild orchids that occur in NSW and the ACT. This region covers the richest area for wild orchids in Australia and includes over 500 species of seasonal ground orchids and 62 species of evergreen tree and rock orchids. Orchids found in this region include the tallest, heaviest, smallest flowered, most numerous flowered and most bizarre orchids in Australia, including elusive underground species.

Guide to Native Orchids of NSW and ACT describes each species, enabling their identification in the field, and includes over 600 photographs of wild orchids in their natural habitat and distribution maps for almost all species. Featuring orchids with a dazzling array of colour and form, this is the essential guide for all orchid enthusiasts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING
• Release date: Jan 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781486313709

Lachlan M. Copeland

Dr Lachlan M. Copeland is a botanist specialising in the taxonomy and conservation of rare or threatened plants. Over 25 years, he has discovered several new orchid species and published more than 45 scientific papers relating to native orchids and other plants of conservation significance. Like most orchid enthusiasts, he loves nothing more than getting out into the bush and finding and photographing native orchids in their natural habitat.

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Diversity, biology and ecology

New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory together comprise ~30% of Australia’s estimated 1900 species of wild orchids. Of the 582 orchid species covered in this book, 45% are found nowhere else, with 257 species endemic to NSW and another five species endemic to the ACT. The native orchids of NSW and ACT can be divided into three broad groups: terrestrial (ground) orchids, which are rooted in the ground; epiphytes and lithophytes (plants growing on trees or rocks); and climbing orchids, which are rooted in the ground but capable of climbing great heights after attaching to a tree for support. The majority of NSW and all of ACT orchids are terrestrial, with ~62 species of epiphytes and lithophytes, mostly occurring in the coastal ranges of northern NSW where rainfall is highest. There is a general trend for epiphytes and lithophytes becoming more diverse in the north, with terrestrial orchids becoming more common and diverse in the south. Just two species of climbing orchids occur in the region covered by this book, both of which are also restricted to northern areas.

While epiphytes and lithophytes are evergreen plants, both climbing orchids and almost all of the terrestrial orchids are seasonal and deciduous, with an annual dormant period where tubers or rhizomes persist in the soil, followed by new leaf growth, flowering and fruiting, then plants dying off above ground to enter dormancy again. Several species of ground orchids including Calanthe, Cryptostylis and Phaius are effectively evergreen orchids with leaves present throughout the year. Most deciduous terrestrial orchids have tubers produced yearly. In some genera such as Acianthus, Chiloglottis, Corybas and Pterostylis, this often allows vegetative spread of plants to form large colonies of genetically identical plants. Some terrestrial orchids such as Cheirostylis, Danhatchia, Rhizanthella and Zeuxine have one or more rhizomes that spread horizontally and can produce new plants along the rhizome. All orchids have a complex relationship with mycorrhizal fungi that they require for seed germination and sometimes for active growth. Some orchids such as Danhatchia, Dipodium, Epipogium, Erythrorchis, Gastrodia, Genoplesium, Pseudovanilla, Rhizanthella and Thynninorchis are leafless, lack chlorophyll and are completely dependent on a relationship with an underground mycorrhizal fungus that they parasitise for all their nutrients. These species are often capable of remarkable growth rates and are correctly termed myco-heterotrophs.

Orchids can be found throughout NSW and ACT, although they are far more common and diverse in the east, with only a few species of drought-tolerant orchids inhabiting the dry west of NSW. Epiphytic orchids are mostly confined to rainforest or adjacent wet sclerophyll forest where rainfall is high and plants are sheltered from full sun and hot, drying winds. Lithophytic orchids often grow on more sheltered, south-facing cliffs to avoid direct sunlight. Terrestrial orchids grow in a diverse range of habitats from coastal sandy soils to dry inland woodlands to sheltered rainforest environments with dense shade, to grasslands in full sun, to swamps with several species being semi-aquatic. Different vegetation communities such as rainforest, woodland, heath, grassland and swamps each have their own suite of species that are effectively confined to their respective vegetation type. Even cold areas in the mountains above 1200 m altitude contain a diverse array of ground orchids, especially Diuris, Prasophyllum and Thelymitra. Areas receiving winter snowfall such as the Snowy Mountains, higher parts of the Blue Mountains, Barrington Tops and around Ebor can put on spectacular displays of summer-flowering orchids. These species have a winter dormancy and usually flower in late spring and summer, in contrast to orchids from lower elevations, which often have a summer dormancy and flower from autumn to late spring. In the far west, some species of Caladenia, Microtis and Pterostylis survive in hot, semi-arid environments, but may only flower every few years when above-average autumn and winter rainfall occurs.

Orchids exhibit a range of pollination strategies. Some species are self-pollinating, and these usually have short-lived and poorly opening flowers. In extreme cases such as Caladenia cleistantha, Cheirostylis notialis and Danhatchia novaehollandiae, flowers rarely if ever open. Most orchids are pollinated by insects, with a range of strategies exhibited to attract pollinators. Some orchids such as Acianthus and Prasophyllum secrete nectar as a food reward, often enhanced by a sweet fragrance, and attract a range of pollinators. Other orchids including Diuris and Thelymitra are food mimics, with flowers resembling unrelated plants that provide insects with nectar or pollen, and pollinators are deceived into visiting the orchid flowers in a vain attempt to gather food. Species of Caladenia, Chiloglottis, Cryptostylis and Pterostylis employ a highly specialised pollination strategy known as sexual deception, where flowers emit a scent mimicking the sex pheromone of a female insect and are pollinated by male insects trying to copulate with the flower. In many species of Caladenia and Chiloglottis, the scent emitted by the orchid attracts just a single species of pollinator specific to that orchid species.

Response of orchids to disturbance is a complex issue. Some species that naturally favour open areas can proliferate in areas that are periodically mowed or slashed and maintained as a derived grassland or open heathland, such as in cemeteries, along roadsides and on powerline easements. In some instances, these artificially maintained habitats can support substantial populations of Diuris, Microtis, Prasophyllum and Thelymitra. However, orchids can quickly decline from these areas due to soil compaction, regrowth of dense vegetation and weed invasion. The impacts of fire on native orchids vary from beneficial to detrimental, depending on fire intensity, frequency and timing. Regular burning on a yearly or biennial basis is detrimental to nearly all orchids, while occasional fires during the dormant period of some ground orchids will lead to an increased proportion of plants flowering the following season. A late summer fire will often lead to a profusion of flowering Caladenia, Diuris and Prasophyllum during the following spring. Some orchids such as Burnettia and Pyrorchis have such a close relationship with fire that they will rarely flower if their habitat has not been burnt the previous season. Ground orchids such as Cheirostylis, some Chiloglottis, Thynninorchis and Zeuxine, which have tubers or rhizomes on the soil surface or in leaf litter or moss, are highly likely to be killed by fire. Epiphytic and lithophytic orchids are highly vulnerable to fire and are usually killed through direct exposure to flames, with many species killed by exposure to even low levels of radiant heat. The fire response of orchids is therefore highly complex, with winners and losers likely to emerge after any given fire.

Species profiles

Genus Acianthus

Mosquito orchids, mayfly orchids

A genus of ~15 species occurring in eastern Australia and New Zealand, with 12 species occurring in NSW and ACT. Terrestrial deciduous orchids with a single, basal, heart-shaped or angular, dark green leaf on a short stem. Flowers 2–14, generally small, greenish to brownish. Dorsal sepal ovate, lateral sepals and petals usually short and mostly slender, rarely long and very slender. Labellum tiny, triangular, with short, raised side lobes and smooth to warty surface. Usually grow in moist, sheltered sites and can multiply vegetatively, sometimes forming large colonies, although often with only a small proportion of plants flowering. Pollinated by tiny flies attracted to flowers by scent and nectar.

Acianthus pusillus

SMALL MOSQUITO ORCHID

Description: Plant to 20 cm tall, dorsal sepal to 8 mm long. Flowers 2–12, tiny, light to dark brown (rarely greenish) with fine purplish stripes. Dorsal sepal narrowly ovate with a short, fine tip and obliquely erect, lateral sepals slender, parallel to narrowly spreading with long outcurved tips, petals short, narrowly triangular and backswept. Labellum mostly smooth with a warty apex. Flowers March–August. Distribution & Habitat: Eastern NSW and ACT, extending from coast to ranges and inland slopes. Altitude: 0–1300 m. Grows in a variety of habitats including coastal scrubs, heathy woodland, open forest and rainforest, in moist, shady situations under shrubs, often with a thick leaf litter layer. Also occurs in Qld, SA, Tas., Vic. Notes: Widespread and often common. Can form extensive colonies containing many hundreds to thousands of plants, with leaves often carpeting ground. Most similar to A. exsertus, which is more robust with larger, darker, more widely spaced, more widely opening flowers and labellum often appears bicoloured, with a greenish base and dark brown apex. However, large plants of A. pusillus can be difficult to tell apart from small plants of A. exsertus.

Acianthus pusillus

Acianthus exsertus

LARGE MOSQUITO ORCHID

Description: Plant to 30 cm tall, dorsal sepal to 10 mm long. Flowers 3–14, very small, widely spaced, light to dark greenish-brown with fine purplish stripes and a darker green and brown labellum. Dorsal sepal ovate with a short, fine tip and obliquely erect to erect, lateral sepals slender, parallel to narrowly spreading with short, thick, outcurved tips, petals short, narrowly triangular and backswept. Labellum mostly smooth with a warty apex. Flowers March–August. Distribution & Habitat: Eastern NSW and ACT, extending from coast to mountains and inland slopes. Altitude: 5–1300 m. Grows in open forest and woodland. Also occurs in Qld, Vic. Notes: Widespread and common on coastal and hinterland ranges, uncommon on inland slopes. Can form extensive colonies with leaves carpeting ground. Most similar to A. pusillus, which has smaller, paler, more crowded flowers with a narrower, more uniformly coloured labellum. However, small plants of A. exsertus can be difficult to distinguish from A. pusillus, but where both species grow together, A. exsertus is noticeably larger and more robust than A. pusillus.

Acianthus exsertus

Acianthus exiguus

TINY MOSQUITO ORCHID

Description: Plant to 10 cm tall, dorsal sepal to 5 mm long. Flowers 2–5, tiny, translucent brownish (rarely greenish) with purplish stripes. Dorsal sepal broadly ovate with a long, fine tip, incurved and hooding column, lateral sepals moderately broad, parallel to narrowly spreading, with short, thick, outcurved tips, petals short, narrowly triangular and spreading, usually not hidden under dorsal sepal. Labellum ovate with a pointed apex and slightly granular lamina. Flowers May–June. Distribution & Habitat: Coastal NSW between Gosford and Wardell. Altitude: 0–100 m. Grows in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest. Notes: Restricted but can be locally common in suitable habitat, although does not form extensive colonies like most other mosquito orchids. Easily overlooked due to small size, with leaves often hidden amongst other ground layer plants. Self-pollinating, with short-lived flowers that usually have swollen ovaries when just open. A population from Iluka has entirely green flowers and may possibly be a distinct species, although further research is required. Most similar to A. scopulus, which occurs on rocky coastal headlands much further south and has recurved labellum margins.

Acianthus exiguus

Acianthus scopulus

PYGMY MOSQUITO ORCHID

Description: Plant to 10 cm tall, dorsal sepal to 8 mm long. Flowers 1–5, tiny, spaced, translucent, greenish-brown with fine purplish stripes and a mostly green labellum with purplish margin. Dorsal sepal ovate with a long, fine tip, incurved and hooding column, lateral sepals broadish, with short, thick, slightly outcurved tips, petals short, narrowly triangular and widely spreading. Labellum broadly triangular with recurved margins and granular to warty lamina. Flowers May–June. Distribution & Habitat: Tathra on NSW South Coast. Altitude: 5–50 m. Grows under low shrubs in shallow soil and moss pockets on coastal rocky headlands. Notes: A very rare species first documented by Tony Bishop in 1996 and only named and described in 2019. Poorly known, with very few populations, although these can be fairly large, numbering hundreds of plants. Seemingly absent from large areas of potentially suitable habitat along South Coast, but easily overlooked due to small size and tiny, short-lived flowers. Most similar to A. exiguus, which occurs much further north.

Acianthus scopulus

Acianthus collinus

INLAND MOSQUITO ORCHID

Description: Plant to 10 cm tall, dorsal sepal to 8 mm long. Flowers 2–9, very small, translucent brownish with fine purplish stripes and a darker brown labellum with a pale central stripe. Dorsal sepal ovate with a short, fine tip, incurved and hooding column, lateral sepals slender, with longish, fine, slightly outcurved tips, petals short, narrowly triangular and widely spreading. Labellum narrowly triangular with recurved margins, distinctly raised side lobes and granular to warty lamina. Flowers June–August. Distribution & Habitat: Ranges and inland slopes of ACT and NSW north to Inverell. Altitude: 200–800 m. Grows in sparsely shrubby woodland and open forest, often on damp, sheltered sites with a deep leaf litter layer. Also occurs in Vic. Notes: Sporadically distributed but can be locally common in suitable habitat. Thought to be mostly confined to inland side of Great Dividing Range. There are several records from coastal side, although some might be misidentifications of other Acianthus species with a hooded dorsal sepal. Rare in ACT where known from a single location with only a few small groups of plants. Most similar to A. fornicatus, which is largely coastal and has a more bristly labellum, and A. cuneatus, which occurs on Northern Tablelands at higher altitude.

Acianthus collinus

Acianthus sp. aff. collinus (south-east)

FOREST MOSQUITO ORCHID

Description: Plant to 12 cm tall, dorsal sepal to 9 mm long. Flowers 2–7, very small, translucent greenish-brown with fine purplish stripes and a dark brown labellum. Dorsal sepal ovate with a long, fine tip, incurved and hooding column, lateral sepals slender, with long, fine, slightly outcurved tips, petals short, narrowly triangular and incurved, held just clear of dorsal sepal. Labellum narrowly triangular with a granular lamina. Flowers June–August. Distribution & Habitat: Ranges of se NSW. Altitude: 300–500 m. Grows in damp open forest with a sparsely shrubby understorey. Notes: A rare species first discovered by noted orchid enthusiast Ron Tunstall several decades ago. Was then ‘lost’ and overlooked until rediscovered in 2019 near Nungatta. Grows with A. pusillus but easily told apart as A. pusillus has smaller flowers with a narrower, obliquely erect dorsal sepal and visible column. Most similar to A. collinus but with more crowded flowers with longer lateral sepals and a much darker, granular rather than warty labellum lacking a pale central stripe. Currently known from a single population and few plants but undoubtedly occurs elsewhere in region, which is heavily forested, remote and seldom visited by orchid enthusiasts.

Acianthus sp. aff. collinus (south-east)

Acianthus cuneatus

NEW ENGLAND MOSQUITO ORCHID

Description: Plant to 20 cm tall, dorsal sepal 7 mm long. Flowers 3–14, very small, translucent brownish-green with a darker labellum and fine purplish stripes. Dorsal sepal ovate with a short, thick, upturned tip, incurved and hooding column, lateral sepals moderately broad, with short, thick outcurved tips, petals short, narrowly triangular and just spreading or hidden within hooding dorsal sepal. Labellum triangular with a mostly granular to warty lamina. Flowers February–April. Distribution & Habitat: Mountains of ne NSW, from Barrington and Coolah Tops north to Tenterfield. Altitude: 1000–1500 m. Grows in moist, sheltered areas in woodland and open forest, usually with a ground layer of grasses, sedges and Bracken Pteridium esculentum. Notes: Sporadically distributed but can be locally common in suitable habitat, although usually with only a low proportion of plants flowering. Has been confused with both A. apprimus and A. fornicatus, although recognised as distinct as early as 1996, but was only named and described in 2017. Records of A. apprimus from ne NSW are most likely this species. Most similar to A. collinus, which has slightly longer sepals, occurs further west at lower altitude, and flowers later. Also similar to A. fornicatus, which has a more granular to warty labellum, longer lateral sepals, occurs nearer coast at lower altitudes and flowers later.

Acianthus cuneatus

Acianthus fornicatus

BRISTLY MOSQUITO ORCHID

Description: Plant to 25 cm tall, dorsal sepal to 12 mm long. Flowers 3–8, small, translucent greenish-brown with fine purplish stripes and mostly green labellum with a purplish margin. Dorsal sepal ovate with a long, fine point, incurved and hooding column, lateral sepals slender, with long, fine, slightly outcurved tips, petals short, narrowly triangular and partially hidden under dorsal sepal. Labellum broadly triangular with toothed recurved margins and very warty to bristly lamina. Flowers May–August. Distribution & Habitat: Eastern NSW, mostly coastal but extending into northern ranges. Altitude: 0–900 m, mostly below 100 m. Grows in coastal scrubs, heathy woodland and open forest. Also occurs in Qld. Notes: Largest mosquito orchid, widespread and often common. Typically has greenish-brown flowers but occasionally with uniformly green flowers. Overlaps in distribution with A. exiguus and A. scopulus, both of which have fewer, much smaller flowers with a less warty labellum. Other mosquito orchids with an incurved, hooded dorsal sepal including A. apprimus, A. collinus and A. cuneatus, and that could be confused with A. fornicatus, all have separate distributions, occurring further inland and mostly at higher altitude.

Acianthus fornicatus

Acianthus apprimus

EARLY MOSQUITO ORCHID

Description: Plant to 20 cm tall, dorsal sepal to 14 mm long. Flowers 3–8, small, very widely spaced, semi-nodding, light to dark greenish-brown with fine purplish stripes and a dark brown labellum. Dorsal sepal broadly ovate with a long, fine tip, incurved and closely hooding column, lateral sepals slender, with long, fine, outcurved tips, petals very short, narrowly triangular and hidden within hooding dorsal sepal. Labellum triangular with strongly recurved margins and a mostly granular to warty lamina. Flowers February–April. Distribution & Habitat: Blue Mountains of e NSW. Altitude: 500–1200 m. Grows in sheltered sites in shrubby and grassy open forest and woodland, usually with grasses and Bracken Pteridium esculentum. Notes: Although with a limited distribution, can be locally common in suitable habitat but with a low proportion of flowering plants. Superficially resembles several other Acianthus species with a hooded dorsal sepal, including A. cuneatus, A. collinus, and A. fornicatus, but easily recognised by widely spaced, narrow, semi-nodding flowers. Older records attributed to A. apprimus from further north in NSW (e.g. New England Tablelands) are probably erroneous and refer to A. cuneatus.

Acianthus apprimus Colin & Mischa Rowan

Acianthus saxatilis

GREEN MOSQUITO ORCHID

Description: Plant to 9 cm tall, dorsal sepal to 12 mm long. Flowers 2–5, small, pale green. Dorsal sepal broadly ovate with short, fine tip, incurved and closely hooding column, lateral sepals short and broad, with short, thick tips, petals short, narrowly triangular and spreading, usually not hidden under dorsal sepal. Labellum broadly ovate with a pointed apex, mostly flat with a smooth lamina. Flowers February–May. Distribution & Habitat: Mountains of ne NSW. Altitude: 900–1000 m. Grows on steep, sheltered, rocky slopes amongst mosses, ferns and shrubs in rainforest. Also occurs in Qld. Notes: First collected in 1953 but specimen not properly examined and identified as a new undescribed species until 1990s. Not seen again until rediscovered in 2003, and only named and described in 2014. Very rare and known from only two locations in NSW: ranges on Qld border near Numinbah, and on Mount Warning a little further south. Steep mountainous habitat is difficult to access so possibly occurs elsewhere in region. Leaves are fairly conspicuous, often being held several centimetres above substrate on a short stem. Flowers are self-pollinating and short-lived.

Acianthus saxatilis

Acianthus sp. aff. caudatus (Gibraltar Range)

LITTLE MAYFLY ORCHID

Description: Plant to 15 cm tall, sepals to 25 mm long. Flowers 1–2, small, green to purplish. Sepals long and slender with drooping tips, dorsal sepal erect, lateral sepals deflexed and spreading, petals short and downcurved. Labellum smooth with incurved margins. Flowers April–May. Distribution & Habitat: Gibraltar Range in ne NSW. Altitude: 1050 m. Grows under dense shrubs in tall, moist open forest with a deep leaf litter layer. Notes: A rare and highly restricted species that was first discovered in 2010 and remains undescribed. Similar to A. caudatus but shorter with fewer, smaller flowers, flowering much earlier and occurring at much higher altitude and further inland. Known only from a single, small population but possibly occurs elsewhere in region, which is rugged and heavily forested.

Acianthus sp. aff. caudatus (Gibraltar Range)

Acianthus caudatus

MAYFLY ORCHID

Description: Plant to 25 cm tall, dorsal sepal to 40 mm long. Flowers 1–7, small, slender, glossy purplish-brown (rarely green). Sepals very long and slender, dorsal sepal erect, lateral sepals deflexed and spreading, petals short and downcurved. Labellum smooth with incurved margins. Flowers May–August. Distribution & Habitat: Eastern NSW extending from coast to hinterland ranges. Altitude: 5–800 m. Grows in coastal scrub, heathy woodland and open forest in moist, shady situations under shrubs and bracken, mostly on sandy loams with a deep leaf litter layer. Also occurs in Qld, SA, Tas., Vic. Notes: Easily recognised by long, very slender sepals that on freshly opened flowers are about vertical but arch more as flowers age. Locally common in suitable habitat, forming large, dense colonies containing hundreds of plants, with leaves sometimes overlapping. Flowers emit a musty odour on warm days.

Acianthus caudatus

Genus Adenochilus

Gnome orchids

A genus of just two species, one occurring in New South Wales and another in New Zealand. Terrestrial deciduous orchids with rhizomes rather than tubers and a single ovate leaf about halfway up flower stem. Flowers small and white, with a broad, hooded dorsal sepal, short, broad petals and lateral sepals, and a short, broad labellum with long, slender mid-lobe. Thought to be pollinated by insects, although vector and mechanism are not known.

Adenochilus nortonii

AUSTRALIAN GNOME ORCHID

Description: Plant to 20 cm tall, sepals to 20 mm long, petals to 15 mm long. Flowers 1–2, white with purplish blotches on labellum and yellow tips on labellum calli. Sepals and petals short and broad, dorsal sepal incurved over column, lateral sepals deflexed and narrowly spreading, petals horizontal to slightly elevated and spreading. Labellum broad with flat side lobes, a long, narrow, curved mid-lobe, and a narrow row of short, crowded calli extending to apex. Flowers November–December. Distribution & Habitat: Mountains of e NSW between Bundanoon and Ebor. Altitude: 130–1400 m. Grows in damp to wet, shaded sites such as along streams, in Sphagnum Moss bogs and along seepage lines on sandstone cliffs. Notes: A highly distinctive, pretty little orchid largely restricted to three regions: Blue Mountains near Sydney extending south to Bundanoon and Helensburgh, Barrington Tops and at Point Lookout near Ebor. Although mostly occurring above 400 m, the Helensburgh record is at much lower altitude, only 130 m. Generally rare although can be locally common in suitable habitat. Can reproduce vegetatively through spread and natural breaking of its rhizomes, forming small colonies.

Adenochilus nortonii

Genus Arthrochilus

Elbow orchids

A genus of 15 species endemic to Australia and New Guinea, with a single species occurring in NSW. Terrestrial deciduous orchids with a small rosette of 2–5 lanceolate pale green leaves on non-flowering plants. Flowering plants usually leafless, bearing 4–30 small, sequentially opening, inverted flowers with short, narrow petals and sepals, a hinged, mobile labellum covered with hairs and glandular warty calli, and prominent, hooked column wings. Pollination is by male thynnine wasps through pseudocopulation.

Arthrochilus prolixus

Arthrochilus prolixus

WISPY ELBOW ORCHID

Description: Plant to 30 cm tall, very slender, dorsal sepal to 8 mm long. Flowers 6–20, pale green with reddish-purple labellum hairs and a purple column apex. Dorsal sepal erect, lateral sepals and petals folded back along ovary. Labellum slender, T-shaped, with a long foot and slender lamina with a cluster of long wiry calli and small glands at apex. Flowers November–May. Distribution & Habitat: Eastern NSW north from Sydney. Altitude: 5–300 m. Grows in a range of habitats, usually with a dense ground layer of sedges, grasses or low shrubs. Also occurs in Qld. Notes: Widely but sporadically distributed, although can be locally common, with rosettes sometimes carpeting ground. Flowering plants usually with only 1–3 flowers open at one time and often growing up through and supported by dense grass and sedge tussocks and low shrubs. Occasionally colonises decomposing saw dust heaps. Rosettes of non-flowering plants are visible above ground for many months after flowering plants have finished. Superficially resembles Thynninorchis huntianus, which is smaller with two tails on labellum and occurs at higher altitude.

Genus Bulbophyllum

Bead, pineapple, rope, strand, wax orchids

One of largest orchid genera, with over 1500 species occurring in warm temperate and tropical regions globally, with 34 species occurring in Australia and 10 species in NSW. Tiny to very large evergreen orchids growing mostly on trees and rocks. Growth and flower form varies greatly, with most species having creeping rhizomes with crowded to widely spaced pseudobulbs bearing 1–2 leaves and growing in low mats or clumps. Flowers have a hinged mobile labellum. Pollination is by a variety of insects attracted by odour or nectar.

Bulbophyllum globuliforme

GREEN BEAD ORCHID

Description: Pseudobulbs to 2 mm diameter, leaf to 1 mm long, sepals to 3 mm long. Plants form linear strands or compact mats. Pseudobulbs spaced, globular, with leaf looking like a tiny spine. Racemes short, erect, with a single tiny, tubular, creamy white to pale yellow flower with narrowly triangular sepals with flared tips and a curved ovate labellum. Flowers September–November. Distribution & Habitat: Far ne NSW. Altitude: 300–900 m. Grows in rainforest, almost exclusively on Hoop Pine Araucaria cunninghamii. Also occurs in Qld. Notes: One of smallest epiphytic orchids in Australia and rarely encountered, with very few records in NSW. Easily mistaken for a moss without close examination, and virtually impossible to detect when growing high in tree canopy. Most often encountered on fallen branches after strong winds and storms. Similar to B. minutissimum, which grows at lower altitudes and has flattened pseudobulbs and yellow and maroon flowers. Also called Oncophyllum globuliforme.

Bulbophyllum globuliforme Mark Clements

Bulbophyllum minutissimum

RED BEAD ORCHID

Description: Pseudobulbs to 2 mm diameter, leaf to 1 mm long, sepals to 2 mm long. Plants form linear strands or compact mats. Pseudobulbs spaced, rounded and flat, with leaf looking like a tiny spine. Racemes very short, erect, with a single tiny, cupped, pale yellow to pink flower with thick maroon stripes, with broadly triangular lateral sepals, and a curved, ovate, maroon labellum with yellow tip. Flowers October–November. Distribution & Habitat: Eastern NSW north from Milton. Altitude: 5–400 m. Grows in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest on a variety of trees, especially large figs Ficus species, also on rocks in sheltered sites. Also occurs in Qld. Notes: Widespread but generally rare, with few records for NSW. One of smallest epiphytic orchids in Australia and easily overlooked due to tiny size. Often grows low to ground and can be mistaken for a moss without close examination. Pseudobulbs usually green when in shade but often maroon when on exposed sites. Similar to B. globuliforme, which grows at higher altitudes on Hoop Pine and has more spherical pseudobulbs and creamy yellow flowers. Also called Oncophyllum minutissimum.

Bulbophyllum minutissimum

Bulbophyllum exiguum

TINY STRAND ORCHID

Description: Pseudobulbs to 8 mm diameter, leaf to 20 mm long, sepals to 6 m long. Plants form small clumps to large mats. Pseudobulbs spaced, spherical, grooved and smooth, leaves short, thin, rigid. Racemes short, with 1–5 very small, slightly cupped, pale green to creamy yellow flowers with narrowly triangular sepals and a curved, grooved, narrowly triangular labellum. Flowers March–May. Distribution & Habitat: Eastern NSW north from Bega and inland to Armidale. Altitude: 10–1200 m. Grows in rainforest, wet sclerophyll forest and drier open forest on a range of trees, also on rocks. Also occurs in Qld. Notes: Most commonly encountered Bulbophyllum species in NSW. Widespread and locally common, especially on sheltered cliffs, where plants can cover large areas, and often grows low down on tree trunks. Similar to B. argyropus, which has more crowded, finely warty pseudobulbs and often an orange labellum. Also called Adelopetalum exiguum.

Bulbophyllum exiguum

Bulbophyllum argyropus

SILVER STRAND ORCHID

Description: Pseudobulbs to 5 mm diameter, leaf to 35 mm long, sepals to 3 mm long. Plants form small clumps. Pseudobulbs crowded, spherical, grooved and minutely warty, leaves short, thin, rigid. Racemes short, with 1–4 very small, slightly cupped, creamy white to pale yellow flowers with narrowly triangular sepals and a curved, grooved, narrowly triangular, orange–yellow labellum. Flowers March–May. Distribution & Habitat: North-eastern NSW north from Yarrowitch; also on Lord Howe Island. Altitude: 100–1000 m. Grows in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest (rarely drier open forest) on a range of trees; also mossy rocks on Lord Howe Island. Also occurs in Qld, Norfolk Island. Notes: Generally rare and known from very few records, although more common on Lord Howe Island. Probably overlooked as plants mostly grow high in forest canopy where they are difficult to detect. Similar to B. exiguum, which has smaller, more widely spaced, smoother pseudobulbs and a narrower yellow labellum. Also called Adelopetalum argyropum.

Bulbophyllum argyropus

Bulbophyllum lamingtonense

CREAM ROPE ORCHID

Description: Leaf to 80 mm long, sepals to 7 mm long. Plants form open clumps or strands, with rhizomes often unbranched and only loosely attached to host or pendulous. Pseudobulbs tiny and inconspicuous, leaves thick, succulent, slightly curved and grooved. Racemes very short, with a single tiny, cupped, creamy white flower with waxy yellow tips, with broadly triangular lateral sepals and a smooth, curved, oblong, orange labellum. Flowers September–November. Distribution & Habitat: Mountains of ne NSW between Kyogle and Woodenbong. Altitude: 700–1200 m. Grows in rainforest on a range of host trees. Also occurs in Qld. Notes: Has a very restricted distribution although can be locally common. Very similar to B. shepherdii, which is widely distributed and has branched rhizomes pressed to host for their whole length and slightly smaller leaves and flowers. Also similar to B. schillerianum, which has larger leaves and red to orange flowers. Also called B. caldericola and Oxysepala lamingtonensis.

Bulbophyllum lamingtonense

Bulbophyllum shepherdii

WHEAT-LEAF ORCHID

Description: Leaf to 40 mm long, sepals to 5 mm long. Plants form open clumps or mats, with rhizomes usually branched and attached to host. Pseudobulbs tiny and inconspicuous, leaves thick, succulent, slightly curved and grooved. Racemes very short, with a single tiny, cupped, creamy white flower with waxy yellow tips, with narrowly triangular lateral sepals and a smooth, curved, oblong, orange labellum. Flowers April–November. Distribution & Habitat: Eastern NSW north from Bega. Altitude: 5–1000 m. Grows on a range of trees in humid forested habitats such as in rainforest and paperbark swamps, also on rocks in sheltered areas. Also occurs in Qld. Notes: Widespread and often locally common. Has a long flowering period and can flower sporadically in autumn although usually with peak flowering in spring. Very similar to B. lamingtonense, which has a restricted distribution and usually unbranched rhizomes only loosely attached to host tree and often pendulous for much of their length, and slightly larger leaves and flowers. Also similar to B. schillerianum, which has larger leaves and red to orange flowers. Also called B. crassulifolium and Oxysepala shepherdii.

Bulbophyllum shepherdii

Bulbophyllum schillerianum

RED ROPE ORCHID

Description: Leaf to 80 mm long, sepals to 7 mm long. Plants form pendulous clumps or mats, with rhizomes often branched and loosely attached to host. Pseudobulbs small and inconspicuous, leaves thick, succulent, slightly curved and grooved. Racemes clustered, very short, with a single, small, cupped, waxy orange–red flower with thick, fleshy, almost cylindrical sepals and a very small, smooth, curved, dark orange labellum. Flowers March–July. Distribution & Habitat: Eastern NSW north from Newcastle. Altitude: 10–800 m. Grows mostly in rainforest on a range of trees, rarely in paperbark swamps, occasionally on rocks at sheltered sites. Also occurs in Qld. Notes: Although fairly widely distributed, generally rare and not often seen. Several older records (under synonym B. aurantiacum) appear to be misidentifications of non-flowering plants of B. shepherdii. Similar to both B. lamingtonense and B. shepherdii, which have smaller leaves and smaller, creamy white flowers with yellow sepal tips. Also called B. aurantiacum and Oxysepala schilleriana.

Bulbophyllum schillerianum Top: Luis Webber; bottom: Mark Clements

Bulbophyllum bracteatum

BLOTCHED PINEAPPLE ORCHID

Description: Pseudobulbs to 7 mm diameter, leaf to 30 mm long, sepals to 4 mm long. Plants form small clumps, pseudobulbs crowded, spherical, grooved, with wrinkled ridges, leaves short, thin, rigid. Racemes moderately long and arching, with 8–25 cupped, yellow, purple-blotched flowers with broadly triangular lateral sepals and a fleshy, curved, shallowly grooved, oblong, purplish–orange labellum. Flowers October–December. Distribution & Habitat: Ranges of ne NSW north from Dorrigo. Altitude: 400–1000 m. Grows in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest on a variety of host trees, occasionally on rocks at sheltered sites. Also occurs in Qld. Notes: Generally uncommon although easily overlooked when growing high in forest canopy. Unmistakable when in flower. Non-flowering plants could be mistaken for B. argyropus, which has smaller, finely warty pseudobulbs; B. elisae, which has larger, more prominently warty pseudobulbs and longer leaves; and B. exiguum, which has smaller, more widely spaced, smoother pseudobulbs. Also called Adelopetalum bracteatum.

Bulbophyllum bracteatum

Bulbophyllum weinthalii

BLOTCHED WAX ORCHID

Description: Pseudobulbs to 15 mm diameter, leaf to 30 mm long, sepals to 12 mm long. Plants form small, dense clumps or mats, pseudobulbs crowded, globular, warty to wrinkled, leaves short, thin, rigid. Racemes very short, with 1or 2 somewhat cupped, creamy white, purple-blotched flowers with broadly triangular lateral sepals and a thick, fleshy, curved, shallowly grooved, oblong, pale yellow labellum with fine purple spots. Flowers March–May. Distribution & Habitat: Ranges of ne NSW north from Dorrigo. Altitude: 600–1000 m. Grows in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest almost exclusively on Hoop Pine Araucaria cunninghamii. Also occurs in Qld. Notes: Highly localised and rarely seen due to habit of growing on upper branches of tall Hoop Pines. Mostly encountered on fallen branches after storms and strong winds. Flowers have a strong unpleasant odour that attracts blowflies for pollination. Somewhat similar to B. bracteatum, which has smaller pseudobulbs and multiple flowers on much longer racemes. Also called Adelopetalum weinthalii and Spilorchis weinthalii.

Bulbophyllum weinthalii

Bulbophyllum elisae

PINEAPPLE ORCHID

Description: Pseudobulbs to 15 mm diameter, leaf to 10 cm long, lateral sepals to 20 mm long. Plants form small clumps, pseudobulbs moderately crowded, spherical, warty, leaves long, thickish, rigid. Racemes moderately long and