Tag: Frog Orchid

WATERING WHEN – CHILOGLOTTIS

Though Melbourne and Adelaide conditions are very different, in cultivation the watering is similar with the warning that in Adelaide it is a harsher environment for this genus.

The following information has been kindly supplied by Richard Thomson, an experienced terrestrial grower from ANOS Victoria.

03 sm PM Chiloglottis valida
Chiloglottis valida

Generally, Chiloglottis are kept damper than Pterostylis, during the dormant period. As many Chiloglottis need the potting media and the tubers dampening in summer, the general action with water, is to have the tubers damp until leaves emerge. Then to commence normal pot watering.

Chiloglottis, can get infected with rust. The first thing usually noticed is some pairs of leaves sticking up in the air. When you look closely you will notice some whitish little lumps on the underside of the leaf. Please immediately take the pot away from your other orchids as it is contagious across Chiloglottis. There does not seem to be an effective way to treat the infection.

ANOS VICTORIA MEETINGS

CHILOGLOTTIS
Species State / Location Month Benched BUSH FLOWERING WATERING
chlorantha NSW July Aug Sept Sept to Oct Keep damper from early February. Water when leaves emerge
cornuta S NSW Vic Tas SA Nov Dec Nov to Feb – altitude Keep damp all year. Water when shoots emerge.
diphylla Qld NSW Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul  Aug Feb to May mid to late January
sp affin diphylla Feb Keep damper from early February. Water when leaves emerge
formicifera NSW Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Aug to Nov keep damper from early February, Water when leaves emerge
sp affin formicifera Jul Keep damper from early February. Water when leaves emerge
gammata Tas high Oct to Feb
jeanesii Vic Nov Dec Nov to Jan Keep damp all year. Water when shoots emerge.
longiclavata N Qld Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug April to June mid to late January
palachila N NSW Aug Sept Oct Nov Nov to Feb keep damper from early February, Water when leaves emerge
x pescottiana NSW ACT Vic Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Aug to Nov keep damper from early February, Water when leaves emerge
platypetala Sept Keep damper from early February. Water when leaves emerge
platyptera N NSW Jul Aug Sept Oct July to Oct keep damper from early February, Water when leaves emerge
reflexa NSW Vic Tas Feb Mar Apr Dec to May mid January
sp affin reflexa Feb mid January
seminuda S NSW Feb Mar Apr May Jan to April keep damp all year
spyrnoides S Qld N NSW Feb Apr Dec Dec to April Keep damp all year. Water when shoots emerge.
sp affin spyrnoides Feb Oct Nov Dec Dec to Feb Keep damp all year. Water when shoots emerge.
sylvestris Qld NSW Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Dec to May early to mid January
trapiziformis Qld to Tas Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Aug to Nov keep damper from early February, Water when leaves emerge
triceretops Tas Oct Aug to Dec Keep damp all year. Water when shoots emerge.
trilabra NSW ACT Vic Feb May Dec Dec to March late December or earlier
trullata Qld Jul Aug Sept Oct Winter keep damper from early February, Water when leaves emerge
truncata S Qld Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct July to Sept Early to mid February
sp affin truncata Jul Aug Sept Autumn Keep damper from early February. Water when leaves emerge
vallida NSW ACT Vic Sept Oct Nov Sept to Jan – altitude Keep damp all year. Water when shoots emerge.

(As there is no January meeting, there is no information on flowering in cultivation for this month.)

From the chart, it can be seen that the cultivated flowering time does not always match the bush flowering time.

03 sm PM Chiloglottis valida
Chiloglottis valida

March 2015 Winning Photograph

Three winners; three very different orchids but that is typical of Australian Orchids, there is no one species that you can point to and say that is a typical orchid as illustrated by the the winners which were Sarchochilus falcatus (Kris Kopicki), Diuris palustris (David Mangelsdorf) and Simpliglottis valida synonym Chiloglottis valida (Pauline Meyers).

Sarchochilus falcatus (common name Orange Blossom Orchid) is an epiphyte.  03 KK sm Sarcochilus falcatus Mt Banda BandaThe cultivated plant in this photo originated from the Blue Mountains just north of Macquarie.  Epiphytic/lithophytic orchids are found across northern Western Australia through the Top End and from a narrow band down the east coast to Tasmania; that is in all States except South Australia.  About a quarter of Australian orchids are epiphytes and despite the widespread distribution, 90% of epiphytic orchids are found primarily in the rainforests of northeastern Queensland.

S. valida (common name Large Bird Orchid or Frog Orchid) 03 sm PM Chiloglottis validaand D. palustris (common name Little Donkey Orchid or Cinnamon Donkey Orchid) are terrestrial, the larger of the two orchid groups.03 sm DM Diuris palustris  Terrestrials are mainly found across the southern part of the continent with some occurring in the north and tropics.  Their optimal habitat is the various types of sclerophyll forests found in Australia.

There is some distribution overlap but the two groups mainly occupy different habitats.

Concerning the habitat of the two terrestrials, S. valida ranges from tall moist closed forest to shaded places of drier open forests to sphagnum bogs and in the mature pine plantations of the South East.  Whereas D. palustris occurs in wet and swampy habitats in the Eastern states (hence it is named from the Latin palustre meaning swampy), in South Australia it is not so. Instead it is found in open terrain of grassland, grassy woodland, mallee and shrubland.

Some Odd Facts:

S. valida is a small ground hugging plant the scape (flowering stalk) of which elongates to 10cm or more after pollination.  Click on this video link to see these plants ‘talking’.  In New Zealand it is described as a vagrant having been introduced from Australia.

Sarchochilus falcatus is the most common and widely distributed species of this genus in Australia.  Occassionally it is lithophytic (grows on rocks). Though it had been rated Endangered and downgraded to Vulnerable in 2005, it is still under major threat from illegal collecting, trampling, water pollution, weeds and fire. New Zealand has epiphytes and the common name for them is Perching Orchids.

D. palustris is uncommon in South Australia and Tasmania; and rare in Victoria.  D. palustris was one of the subjects painted by Adelaide colonial artist and cartoonist Margaret Cochrane Scott in 1890s who had an affinity for native orchids.

 

References:

All internet references accessed on 31st March 2015

https://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/orchidkey/html/intro-c_habitat.html

http://anpsa.org.au/APOL19/sep00-1.html

http://www.nativeorchids.co.nz/Species/Simpliglottis_valida.html

http://data.rbg.vic.gov.au/vicflora/flora/taxon/4cebc1f9-38da-4c61-9c3c-37c2efc6da32

Mark Clements The Allure of Orchids 2014

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/44392876/0

Bates 2011 South Australia’s Native Orchids DVD

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