An amazing orchid day

This covers a day of exploring a few sites around the Mallacoota area. 

We began with a mass display of the purple donkey orchid, Diuris punctata. 

Unlike the poor, its OK to look down on orchids!

This gives an idea of the quantity of the flowers in the colony.

We also found 1 Diuris sulphurea, included for completeness.

We now get into the genus Prasophyllum.  Oh dear, oh dear: they respond well to fire so there were many many plants in flower but trying to ID them is in many cases beyond me.  I think this is P. brevilabre.  At least 100s of this species.

Now for mysteries.  Suggestions welcome.  They were all modest in size - perhaps 30 cm tall - and scattered through the area.  Although I thought there were three species an expert has advised that they are all various forms of P. appendiculatum

 

I am able to identify this as P. sylvestre as we went searching for this, following up directions for the plants.

We now get into orchids loved by their mothers (as in "Only their mother could love them.)  Again 100s of Microtis in a heathy area and I think the labellum says M. unifolia.  They were quite large - for Microtis - getting up to about 20 cm. 

We found a few Thelymitra (Sun Orchids) in a heath area.  I can't put a name to this one, which is a smaller flower than the Spotted Sun Orchid types.

We couldn't identify this is the field and searching The Book on getting home has suggested Thelymitra brevifolia.  It is astonishing that the bright red column isn't a clear distinguishing feature

Here is a very poor picture of the whole plant, although  the thin leaf doesn't show well (as it didn't in the field amongst all the grass etc).

After at least 2 months of searching, and checking known sites, we finally found some Little Flying Duck Orchids  Paracaleana minor.

I was a little surprised to find that this has had its Genus renamed, from Caleana to Paracaleana.  Then I looked at the leaf which is very different to that of the ubiquitous Large Flying Duck and agreed that a change was warranted.

While photographing the Little Quackers we were told of an asparagus looking plant nearby so went to check it out.

Clearly a Dipodium sp and as it is early i the season I suspect D. roseum

One of the heath areas had a very good crop of Callistemon citrinus.

Some detail.

Gompholobium huegelii (again)

Lobelia anceps

A moth being uncooperative as usual.

This Jacky Winter stayed in this position for about 5 minutes singing its heart out.