Greenhood orchids
Continuing the orchid theme, next up are some greenhood orchids. Again from the Arthur River area, there were quite a lot on display during late October, and we were extra fortunate to find a few of the very rare Arthur River greenhood (Pterostylis rubenachii) and the rather striking long yellow bearded Pterostylis tasmanica.
Pterostylis tasmanica (small bearded greenhood). Perhaps the most photogenic, the long yellow “beard” was a very interesting feature. As with all the orchids, the slightest of breezes was enough to set these little guys off so a high ISO and a very fast shutter speed were the order of the day!
Another angle on the small bearded greenhood (Pterostylis tasmanica)
Pterostylis nana (dwarf greenhood). As its name would imply, a very small greenhood – no bigger than a length of grass!
A close up of the Pterostylis nana (dwarf greenhood)
Pterostylis rubenachii (Arthur River greenhood). Only found around the Arthur River, this one was quite special to find.
The leafy greenhood. Another very rare species and one I simply would never have found had I not been a part of this tour. It is found only in the Arthur River on mainland Tasmania and it is hidden in coastal scrub. Another big thumbs up for Geoff’s Eco Tours 🙂
Another angle on the rare leafy greenhood
This was basically the first time I have spent a lot of time looking for orchids and really enjoyed the challenge of photographing these little guys. I have really been enjoying photographing the fungi each autumn these past few years and the orchids are a great spring subject.
