| As
our Northern Hemisphere flowers are resting for the
winter, those in the Antipodes come out. So, for a
change ... |
| We
have just returned from Australia, where on a walk
through the bush north of Melbourne we came across this
tiny terrestrial orchid. This is the Large Bird Orchid, chiloglottis
valida, which belies its name by being quite small.
It is about 3 cm in height, with leaves 3 cm. Just
coming into flower in early spring, in October. |
| (Not
to be confused with another bird orchid which we saw
some years ago in Western Australia, and which is a
member of the greenhoods) |
 |
Chiloglottis
valida is pollinated by species of thynnine wasps, and
indulges in sexual deception ! It produces a scent
which mimics the pheromones released by the females of
the pollinating wasp species. |
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