Flora Seen on Your Last Walk?

[crollsurf]

Excellent photo Greg with the white tip outer flowers. Blue Mountains, 2 years after the fires is awash with Waratahs. I walked up to Mount Solitary the other day and it was like a Waratah Nursery.

Heading up the knife edge

[GregG]

Excellent photo Greg with the white tip outer flowers. Blue Mountains, 2 years after the fires is awash with Waratahs. I walked up to Mount Solitary the other day and it was like a Waratah Nursery.

waratahbush.jpg

Crikey Crollsurf, a Waratah tree!

[GregG]

Went for a walk on the Sun Valley FT today
Saw this Passiflora Herbertiana native passionfruit.

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[keithj]

Thanks Greg - I came across this last week on the plateau above Wolgan Valley and wondered what it was.

[michael_p]

Unfortunately I seem to have missed the flowering of this large Snake Orchid (Cymbidium suave). Noticed several weeks back that it was starting to flower but I was a bit slow in getting back to photograph it.

Less than 1km northish of the big Snake Orchid is a nice little one that has found a tree hollow to grow in. It is also flowering. It's up the tree a bit and I didn't have a zoom lens so this is about as close as I could get to the flowers.

Michael.

P.S. Late Beard and Hyacinths are coming up now so I'll be keeping my eye out for some to photograph.

[rcaffin]

Very nice.
We have a clump of Cymbidium suave up the back of the farm, growing out of an old gum tree stump.
This is it in 2018:

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This is it today, 2021.

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So far, fortunately, the stump still seems solid.

Cheer
Roger

[michael_p]

That one looks great.

The large Snake Orchid in my photos is in a tree stump just like your one. It looks similar in size to your 2018 photo. They do seem to like tree stumps.

[rcaffin]

All we have to do is to preserve the stumps!
There must be a bit of water preserved in the core of these stumps. It was growing through the drought.
Cheers
Roger

[michael_p]

Fringe Lily (Thysanotus tuberosus) are out in huge numbers at the moment.

[Eremophila]

I’d never seen or heard of Fringe Lilies before. I know there’s a Larapinta campsite named Fringe Lily Creek but never gave it much thought.

Lo and behold, there were plenty of them on the lower part of Mt Sturgeon today. First time I’ve seen them in 8 years of walking there - must be the unseasonal amount of rain.

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[michael_p]

Late Beard Orchids (Calochilus therophilus) are flowering now. Couple of quick snaps with my phone so not the best photos.

[north-north-west]

Lot of Chiloglottis gunnii (Tall Bird Orchid) around. This one, with its weird sideways labellum, was the pick of them.

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[Baeng72]

Some flowers, Wilson's Prom. (I'd call them 'daisy' like, but probably not close).

Purple

Yellow

Lilac? (I don't know).

[michael_p]

Blotched Hyacinth-Orchids (Dipodium punctatum) are coming out.

[michael_p]

Large Tongue Orchid (Cryptostylis subulata), Dharawal NP, Wedderburn. This one has only just started to flower.

[north-north-west]

Lucked out there, michael. That one's on my hit list.

Best I can do in response is Calochilus paludosis.

Although there is still plenty of scoparia out there, if you know where to go:

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[Last]

This is, I'm told, a Green Hood Orchid. Picture was taken at Tolmie, Victoria a couple of weeks ago. There were also a lot of Fringe Lillies about.

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[michael_p]

Looks like a Sharp Greenhood. Something has had a nibble at the lateral sepals.

[Last]

Looks like a Sharp Greenhood. Something has had a nibble at the lateral sepals.

interesting. They must be tasty because another nearby had the same treatment

[Last]

Looks like a Sharp Greenhood. Something has had a nibble at the lateral sepals.

interesting. They must be tasty because another nearby had the same treatment.

[johnw]

A couple of weeks ago walking in Namadgi NP ACT.
Arthropodium milleflorum (pale vanilla lily):

[Baeng72]

Might not technically be a plant (Flora), I think it's fungus.
Seen on running creek track in Kinglake National Park.

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Fungus

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[rcaffin]

I suggest rather a slime mould.

Cheers
Roger

[Baeng72]

Cheers, so not flora, but not fungi.

[rcaffin]

Fungi are a kingdom in their own right. They may rule the world.
Slime moulds are 'protists', which is an academic way of say 'we are not sure what they are'.
Technically, a protist is any eukaryotic organism that is not an animal, plant, or fungus.

Cheers
Roger

[Baeng72]

I wasn't arguing with you.
I'm aware fungi aren't plants.
Plants photosynthesise and fungi don't for starters and I'm sure there's lots of other differences that I can't remember from high-school biology.
Just wasn't aware what a slime mould wasn't a fungi. Should rename it to slime protists or something.
Thanks .

[rcaffin]

Info posted for general readership.
Yeah, it's a strange world. Society should value fungi and slime moulds more. Well, we do eat mushrooms.

Cheers
Roger

[Baeng72]

Info posted for general readership.

Fair enough.

Yeah, it's a strange world. Society should value fungi and slime moulds more. Well, we do eat mushrooms.

If you want to talk up fungus, forget mushrooms, it's yeast. No yeast, no booze or bread (ok, there are yeastless breads, but..).

[rcaffin]

Yeast - you are right.
Cheers
Roger

[Neo]

Banksia serrata, the smallest plants had half sized inflorescence. Crowdy Bay NP short stroll.

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