Caesia micrantha (formerly Caesia parviflora) Pale Grass Lily
A tiny and delicate white six petalled lily with several flowers per stem, with mostly only one out a a time. Stiff shiny long slender leaves.
Spring
Bridgetown, South West Region, Western Australia and found throughout the Great Southern, South West, Perth, coastal Wheatbelt and into the Mid West Regions
Australia So Much to See
A medium sized green spider orchid with slender green or yellow petals faintly striped with red. The yellow wide dark red tipped labellum has side fringes. The wide yellow labellum has rows of dark red coloured calli. Photos top left and right show part of the dark labellum has been eaten. Similar to Caladenia falcata, being a little smaller, and with red calli extend into the red labellum tip. Flower stems can stand up to 45 centimetres tall.
Leaf at right
Bridgetown, South West Region, Western Australia and found in scattered locations through the south west corner of South West, lower Great Southern. A further two subspecies are found in southern part of the Goldfields regions, along the south coast to well east of Esperance
Caladenia barbarossa, Dragon Orchid, Common Dragon Orchid
A small sized green spider orchid with maroon stripes down the
centre of the petals. A green downward curving wide labellum with maroon hairs and calli centre and sides.
The name Barbarossa means “red beard”. This is made to look like a female thynnid wasp, complete with a fake black "head".
There is a gland at the base of this "head" which may emit pheromones to further mimic a willing female wasp; this is likely but not
yet proven. This method is used by a number of Australian native orchids the enable pollination by the wasps
October
Bridgetown,
South West Region, Western Australia and found in scattered locations in parts of the South West, Wheatbelt and Great Southern
regions, with none near the west coast
This orchid was photographed growing in a clump of Labichea punctata
