Caladenia phaeoclavia (Brown-clubbed Spider-orchid)
Small hairy plant with green or reddish stem, 10-25cm tall. Single hairy leaf with red spots near the base.
Single green flower with a red stripe down each lateral petal and sepal. Dorsal and lateral sepal tails end in brownish clubs. Petals not clubbed. Labellum 3-lobed, lateral lobes with curved teeth, dark maroon tip, central calli crowded in 4 rows. Column base has 2 yellow glands. Flowers appear September to November.
Chiloglottis valida (Common Bird-orchid)
This common orchid produces a stem up to 40mm high. There are 2 variants, a lighter greenish-brown and a darker reddish-brown variety. The lighter variant appears to flower earlier than the darker. Flowering occurs from September to December, depending on location.
This orchid is widespread on sparsely grassed forest floor and clearings.
Dipodium roseum (Rosy Hyacinth Orchid)
Erect, leafless herb-like orchid with reddish-purple stem 0.3-0.9m tall. Between 6 to 50 pale pink to dark pink flowers appear from December to April. The flower petals also show variable purple markings and spots.
This orchid is saprophytic, which means it derives its food from dead or decaying matter.
Appears all over the slopes of Chandlers Hill in summer.
Gastrodia sesamoides (Cinnamon Bells)
Leafless, erect saprophytic herb with fleshy brown stems, 30-50cm tall, tip nodding before flowering. Terminal cluster of up to 25 tubular flowers to 20mm long; petals are grey-brown on the outside and creamy white on the inside and tips.
Flowering occurs from October to December.
Pterostylis alpina (Mountain Greenhood)
Stout orchid with fleshy stem to 30cm high. There are from 3 to 5 sessile, dark green, fleshy leaves scattered up the stem. Usually a single greenish white flower to 30mm long appears from August to October.
Can form large colonies when the conditions are ideal.
Thelymitra juncifolia (Rush-leaf Sun-orchid)
To 45cm tall. Fleshy linear leaf to 20cm long and 8mm wide. Petals and sepals of perianth tipped with small point. Mid-lobe of column crowned with yellow calli and erect, yellow, toothed accessory lobes. Column arms extended horizontally, tipped with bushy white hairs.
Thelymitra media (Tall Sun-orchid)
Robust or slender stem to 90cm high. Thick lanceolate leaf to 30cm long. Dense spike of 5-25 blue flowers to 30mm across. White column with prominent black band; post-anther lobe not hooded, with short, yellow calli at the back; accessory lobes short, erect, blunt or tipped with minute teeth. Flowering occurs from October to January.
Thelymitra pauciflora (Slender Sun-orchid)
Small slender plant 15-50cm tall, stem ofen tinged reddish, 1-2 closely sheathing bracts. Single erect leaf, 10-20cm x 3-6mm, often reddish at the base. Up to 3 small, 15-20mm blue flowers appear in October to November.
Column pale blue to white; post-anther lobe hooded, shading from blue to brown, yellow tip entire or notched. Lateral column arms bent upwards, fringed with white hairs.
Thelymitra rubra (Salmon Sun-orchid)
A small plant with a single leaf, 2-3 closely sheathing bracts on the reddish, slender stem; 15-40cm tall. Deeply channelled leaf 10-20cm x 1-4mm.
One to four salmon pink flowers, up to 25mm across, are usually self-pollinated. Sepal tips pointed, column pink with red collar, post-anther lobe yellow-orange and not hooded. Column lateral arms are yellow and irregularly fringed with slender to warty teeth. Flowers appear from October to November.