Maroonhood

Description:

Another orchid giving us the Shaka or Hang Loose sign !
This orchid had single flowers on slender stems with a few lance shaped leaves on the stems. The plants were about 25 to 30 cms high. The flowers were striking in that the forward curving hoods had a maroon colouring to their tops . Their "backs' were white with narrow green stripes. The lip was dark and lateral sepals were fused at the base with their tips drawn out to fine points.

Habitat:

Spotted growing in semi shade and in leaf litter in a National Park. (Dandenong Ranges )

Notes:

These were growing by a track -I could not get shots of the leaves or the whole plant with multitudes trudging by....
These orchids are wild and do not grow well if transplanted. Removal is prohibited.
family: Orchidaceae