Out and About (Tall Tales but Very True)

Rare and Beautiful Orchids (Part 2)

I was out and about again, in The Central Lakes District, bit further south. I decided to do a bit of canoeing, bushwalking, camping, have a needed break and look at an estuary gully river I had seen on a recent boat trip to Bunwall. First mistake, I thought there was no need for my camera because of the water. Paddling some 10 kilometres still feeling sore from last week’s adventure I camped out on a raised island, landed in a swampy estuary with large plants of Dendrobium teretitafolum growing around me on swamp oak trees.

Dendrobium teretitafolum

After setting up camp it got dark. I was not alone I had company, dozens of orange glowing eyes were watching me from above, there must have been hundreds of starving possums living there! They were restricted from leaving the island by the water. The little buggers got into everything while I was watching across from the camp fire. It was time to retire to the tent for forty winks. I was woken up by what sounded like a burp. The little buggers were trying to chew my toes and feet! I got up, and in desperation for a good night’s sleep, threw a half empty can of coke at them from 20 feet away to scare them off. I could not believe it. The can hit one fair and square on its noggin! I felt real bad, but it was an accident after all. I thought about mouth to mouth to revive it, but I was not that intoxicated.

Up the next morning, I was expecting a huge walk, but I was surprised, when about only 2 km. up the creek, growing on Bush Myrtle trees a large population of Denrobium tetragonum not in flower. They looked different.

I then realised they all had lots of aerial growths, I grabbed half a dozen aerial growths for identification leaving all the plants intact undisturbed and explored the rest of the creek.

The only orchids there were Den. tetragonum, Den. speciosum var. hillii and small Sarc. australius growing on Water Gums. Let’s hope the State Forest logging operations keep away.

Venturing back home I got caught in a storm. There was lots of lightning - pretty scary. I was thinking, “I’m getting to old for this bush bashing, but I will be back next spring.” which I was and since then I have now found three communities of tetragonums even well back in the hinterland.

The keikis have grown well in the coarse Strongrow Bush Orchid Mix and flowered this year. The question is what variety are they?

I believe it to be a new variety and given it the name Dendrobium tetragomum myalspadei. Of the other four varieties I believe there to be, none of them that have the same characteristics as myalspadei, namely the white elongated spade lip. On showing Ken Russell a well respected and legend of native orchids, he had to agree with me, it was very different to other tetragonums and thought the same

Look at the photos below. I will value all of the member’s conclusions, l have given you a photo of the very large variety type Denrobium tetragonum var tetragonum (right photo) which begins to occur from Mooney Mooney on the Hawkesburry river, through the Wattagans and Cessnock region, except for Ourimbah State Forrest where it reverts back to the small southern type variety (left photo) compare them to the first three photos above.

You can contact me on 02 4949 6228, or my email address strongrow.orchids@gmail.com. I really need a coffee now.