Bioblitz Part 2

 There were two main outings today.  The first to Captains Creek Fire Trail mainly to bag some orchids and the second to Gipsy Point to check an orchid en route and then to score a few forest plants on the Peninsula.  

As it turned out we got plenty of opportunity on the Peninsula as I managed to lose the track twice, turning a 2.5 km walk into about 4 km.  I have no definite idea quite how I managed that but possibly it can be explained by a fallen tree blocking the path and obscuring the track?

Anyhow to the pictures: basically they are in three groups:

1. non-orchids from Captains Creek;
2. non-orchids from Gipsy Point ; and
3. orchids 

1 Non-orchids from Captains Creek.

The first few images are across the road from the Trail under the power lines.  The grass trees (Xanthorrhoea sp) are starting to flower.  This is X. resinosa with no above-ground trunk.

The trunk of this specimen makes it clear this is X, australis.  The tallest spike is close to 2m long (on top of some 50 cm of trunk.

Getting to the firetrail the first flower is Lobelia gibbosa.

Kennedia prostrata

Scaevola ramosissima

Banksia serrata, sprouting from the ground and ...

... epicormic growth.

Clearly a member of the Family Fabaceae, but I'm not game to go to genus.  Lets see what iNaturalist comes up with.

2 Non orchids from Gipsy Point

Starting off where we finished - in fact a bit further back as I won't put this one to Family - we found it beside the main road.  iNaturalist gave some suggestions none of which were anything close to possible (mainly US species).  Frances had mentioned Wedding Bush and that is what contributors to iNaturalist have gone for Ricinocarps pinifolius,

Once setting off on the peninsula Indigofera australis was in good flower

There was a good number of Solanum prinophyllum (Forest Nightshade).  Note the prickles.

Not a flower, but a good specimen of the huge Eucalyptus viminalis (Manna Gum - although I'm sure these aren't referenced in Exodus).

I found a specimen of this on my previous visit and at that time had to settle for 'Nightshade'.  I now think it is Solanum pseudocapsicum - an escapee.

A large shrub (aka small tree) of Myoporum insulare (Common Boobialla)

INaturalist gets another chance!  This is a white vine.  I think I considered Wombat Berry for this but discounted it as there were not white hairs on the edge of the petals.  However several folks on iNaturalist have signed up for Eustrephus latifolius so Wombat Berry it is.

On my last visit Lasiopetalum macrophyllum had flowers.  They have now all set seed.

This time I checked the image of Passiflora cinnabarina - a passionfruit.  Flora of Victoria mentions it growing in crevices on granite boulders rather than a sandy flood plain but obviously the plant hasn't read that website.

3 Orchids

Nearly all of these come from the Captains Creek Fire trail.

Diuris orientis (Wallflower orchid): the 'normal form ...

...

... and the less common all yellow form.  In this area (ie around Mallacoota) the two forms are almost the same in proportion.

Glossodia major (just to get the tick in the blitz).

Caladenia carnea

Caladenia clarkiae - an aged specimen ...

.. and more typical  - or at least fresher - specimen.

Many Caleana major flapping around.

I only found one Lyperanthus suavolens today.

This was our target species, Pyrorchis nigricans (Red Beaks).  It used to be in Lyperanthus but now is its own genus: the 'pyr' element reflects it only flowering after fire.  A tough plant to find - we were assisted by a friend who is a guru (a) finding it and (b) putting up some tape as a marker!

A cardboard background to facilitate focusing!

4 Other Kingdoms

Proving I am not a vegetatist, we found this spider while planting a rose bush in our garden.  Spider is about as far as I will go.