A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Dipodium punctatum
Also known as Blotched Hyacinth Orchid. Growing from the ground with no leaves showing, a single brown to maroon stem stands up to three quarters of a metre high, clusters of pink and blotched maroon/purple orchid flowers sprout near the top of the stem, highlight of white near centre of flower, flowers last only a week at most before withering. Grows in dry woodland and is fairly common in northern NSW into the Tablelands country. It is a burst of colour amidst browns and greys of a dry woodland.
Found throughout Australia's east coast and into the Tablelands of NSW. This one in dry woodland of northern NSW.
Spotted on Jan 9, 2014
Submitted on Jan 10, 2014
4 Comments
Thanks ShannaB. They seem to appear out of dry leaf litter with not much else around, it's always a surprise coming across a plant - a bright spot of colour in the greys & browns of the forest floor. There's no green of leaf either, just the dark maroon stalk with the pink & white flowers near the top. Most common ones I've seen are around 30cm high with the occasional much taller specimen. Greenhood Orchids are another tiny surprise you might come across while looking for these.
Beautiful. I would love to see these!
Thanks MacC. Took some more photos this morning. Looks as though there's a light shining from within.
Nice one KD