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continuedfrom page 3 (D. picta) can bee seenin the same habitat.This orchid is awidespread speciesoI inland areasand this population is the furtherest west interestingin thattheyhave different that it has been rscorded. shaped leaves, depending on Oneof themostattractiveorchids whether or not they are in flower. found in the remnant is the clown Non-flowering plantshave rosettes orchid ( C alade nin roei). Appearing ofbroad leaveswhich lie flat on thc in early Sept., it occupiesa variety ground, while flowering of habitats,including in mallee produce only narrow stem leaves heath,tall shrublandand thicketsof thatareheldwell up ftom theground. low shrubs surrounding granite. A few speci€s flower in July. Other spider orchids that are found These include the laughing leek in these habitats and flower at the orchid (PrasophyLlum gracile) sametime ofyear includethe blood which is found in shallow soil spider orchid (C. ifera), the ft inged pocketson graniteand alongasmall fi mantis orchid (C. tbe drainageline andthe little pink fairy falcata), chameleonorchid (C. dimidia), the orchid (Caladenia reptans) which slenderspider orchid (C. pulchra), forms clumps of up to 10 or so the cowslip orchid (C. the flowering plantsin shrublandareas. flava), Andrew Brawn finds an underyround crimsonspider orchid (C.footeana) andthe pink candyorchid(C. hirta). Thebest time is spring quickly that flowering can occur within 2-3 weeks from the time thar Easilythebestlime to seeorchids Firecon induce tney sprout. atBabakin is betweenmid-Aug and flowering May-June is the time of year mid-Oct. As many as 46 species when the rare underground orchid flower at lhat time of the year, In most years the common red (Rhizanthella gardneri) blooms. includingmostof thespiderorchids, beak orchid (Pyrorchis nigricans) Foundexclusively underbroombush sun orchids, donkey orchid", appearsin areasof sandy, unbumt (Melakuca uncindld), xhisorchid is mignonetteorchids and blue orchids. shrubland only as leaves, often an unusual which spends In late Aug, the rosy-choeked knownaselephants'ears. The rabbit almost its entire life below the donkey orchid (Diuris aff. orchid (Leptoceras menziesii), surtaceof the earth. Just the tips of corymbosa) appears in great which is found in a single winter- the fleshy overlapping floral bracts abundance.It isthe mostwidespread wet area also produces massesof emergein autumn and early winler. donkey orchid in the remnantand, leavesthat come up year after year butthey are hidden by a layerofleaf although most common along the without ever producing one or two and bark liller. The specieslacks edgeofa winler-dampdrainage line flowers. However, if the habitatof true leaves and does noi produce and the moist surroundsof a small eitherof theseorchids is burnt in the \ . .'/, chlorophyll, insteadit reliesenrirely graniteoutcrop,it is foundscattered summer, the following Sep-Oct on an associationwith soil fungi for in mosl habitats.A populationof almostevoryplantbursts into bloom. its survival. the bee orchid (D. laiflora) canbe Severalofthe leekorchids, including Also foundfloweringatthis time seengrowing in the moist seepage thefrilled leekorchid (Pr asophy I Lutn are the wintor spider orchid area and a few weeks later a small sar ge ntii) andtheblue orchids, such (Caladenia drummondii) and two colony ofthe granitedontey orchid, as the powder blue china orchid shell orchid species. Although the only spiderorchid lo flower al this - timeof year,the winterspider orchid DIDYOU KNOW ? LOVEPOTION 'orchid' is often difficult to locate in its Ihe word comes from lhe greek for'lesticle' since in lhe preferred habitat of open mallee common europeqnspecies lhe two tubers the currenlyeor's being heath, due io its subdued maroon, usedup ond the nextyeor's being filled up - hong likeo nicelybolonced brown and cream colouration. By pqir of nuls ,,. Thisled eorlyherbolists to believe thqt you could increose contrast, the green-veined shell q mon's vigour by feeding him orchid lubers fhe nice tirm one, of ofchid ( scabra) anr) coursel (lf you wonl to slowthe brule down, you'd mqke o pqste f tom brown-veined shell orchid (P. the f laccid one .,.) aspera) arc easy to spot as they Aboriginol people ote ihe lubers of mony different orchids (see 'Bush grow in large colonies, somelimes IuckerPlonts of the South-west',CALM 1997) but there'sno record amounting to thousandsof plants of them being consideredon ophrodisioc, sprcad over several square metres Penny Hussey of ground. Shcll orchids a€ Newsletter of$e Lond fof Wild/ift sdeme

(Cyanicula ashbyae), are also the flowersand the pygmy orchid stimulatedinto flowering by fire. It attractsminute gnats. It is thought is believedthat chemicalsproduced thatthese are attracted !o theflower in the smoke are the trigger that by its drabcolour and odour. promotes flowering. Otherorchids found at Babakin The purple enamel orchid use a variety of different,and (Elythranthera brunonis) is one of sometimesdevious, methods to the most distinctive orchids found attract pollinators. The brightly at Babakin. Appearing in Sept, its colouredcowslip orchid attracts glossy purple flowers are like no beetlesand the occasionalbee; the other species and are .therefore leekorchids produce pseudo pollen readily identified. and nectarto attracta variety of In late Sept-Oct the granite sun beetles,bees and wasps;donkey or chid ( The ly mitr a aff . mac r ophy I Ia) orchidsmimic associatedpea and freckl ed sun or chid (7. sargentii) flowercto attractnative bees and burst into colourful bloom. The sun sunorchids also attract native bees orchidsdiffer from all otherorchids butuse a combinationof colourand found there in that they lack a scent. prominentlabellum (lip). In sun This spring, why not look at orchids the labellum is just like the someremnant bushland near you? other pelals and sepalsin shapeand I'm sure you will be surprisedat provides evidenc€ of the ancestral howmany interesting native orchid link orchids have with membersof speciesare finding refuge there. the lily family. The sun orchids are also interestingin anotherway. As Pterostylissdtgenfii AndrewBrcwn is a botanistworking their namesuggests, they openonly Pterostylisborbdtq with WATSCU at the Wildlife on warm sunny days, remaining Research Centre, Woodvale. His closedatnightand when theweather pollinated by a small wasp which specialityis orchid.distribution and is cool and cloudy. Perhaps the mistakesthe labellum of the flower .He can be contactedon mosl beautilul sun orchid here is for a female insect. 08 94055166. curly locks (7. spiralis). Although Andrew provided us with a list of all 65 orchids at Babdkin. It is too uncommon, it is always well worth found Bizorreoollinotion long to print here, but if you would searching for in the shallow soils mechonisms like a copy, ring 08 9334 0427 and that surround the granite outcrop. we'll sendyou one. Its mauveand purple striped flowers All the orchids in this remnant Line drawingsby SuePatick area delight to see. Itflowors a little are pollinated by insects. The hare earlier than most, reaching iLspeak orchid, for example,is pollinatedby in Aug. maleflying antsthatswarm foronly In early Oct the Sourh African on or two days in a year. These LFWorchid news orchid (Monadenia bracteata) primitive ants are attractedto the flowers in disturbed areasnear the winglessfemales of theirspeci€sby Eloine ond Henk Hendriks edge of the remnanl, often among a chemical odour known as a hove ot leost l6 orchids in lheir introducedgrasses. This orchid first pheromone.The orchid has asimilar remveg ol Munlodgin. On the appcaredin WA near Albany in scent which is not detectable to LFWvisit, lilerolly dozens ot the 1944 and since then has spread as humansbut on warm daysit attracts firstspecles lo flower,lhe while far as Northampton and Esperance. the male ant to the labellum of the bunny orchid, were observed. Italso nowoccurs inSouthAustralia flower which, due to its colouration Eloinehopes lhis is lhe precursor and Victoria. and shape, tricks the insect into 10q bumper yeor - for both crop The last orchid to flower is the thinking that it is mating with a ond bushl Andrew willbevisiting elbow orchid (Spirulaea ciliata). femaleof its own species. Several lhis site durlng on excurslonto An unusual plant, it stores all the other olchids in the bushland use Merredin in Sept. moisture and nutrientsthat it needs similartrickery to anractpollinaLors, Judy Schillingol Wesl Dole within the stem, so that, as the base eg the nanow-lippeddragon orchid fenced olf o potch of wondoo ofthe stem begins to wither and die (D r ako no r ch is mes o c e r a), the elbow woodlqnd behind lhe house, in late spring, the plant continuesto orchid and the clown orchid. ond, within one yeor, donkey grow. It flowers in the hot dry The white bunny orchid uses orchids hod relurned. months of Nov and Dec when the quite a different strategy to attract Hosonyone elsehod osimilor shallow soil in which it grows has pollinators. Itproducesneclar and a experience? becomepowderdry. This speCl6 is sweetscent to attractnative beesto