I was able to spend just a couple of hours in Bidjigal Reserve, after a farewell lunch for one of council's Bushland workers who worked out of the Baulkham Hills Community Nursery where I am a volunteer.
There are about 2 dozen terrestrial (ground) orchids listed as growing in this and the adjoining reserves, and I was lucky enough to find 3 of the winter/spring flowering ones.
Click on photos to enlarge.
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| Epacris sp. (probably puchella, but hoping for purpurascens) Could be 1 of 2, still finding out. |
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| Epacris sp. Pink form of the above. |
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| Fruits of Elaeocarpus reticulatus - Blueberry Ash. |
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| Acacia ulicifolia - Prickly Moses. |
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| Acianthus fornicatus - Pixie Caps, Pixie Orchid. One of the terrestrial orchids. |
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| Acianthus fornicatus - Pixie Caps, Pixie Orchid. (as above) One of the terrestrial orchids. |
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| Lindsaea microphylla - Lacy Wedge-fern. |
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| Heartwood and old flower-cone of Banksia serrata both have a similar star-burst design. |
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| Acacia linifolia - Flax-leafed Wattle. |
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| Acacia linifolia - Flax-leafed Wattle. |
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| How it got it's name, Omalanthus populifolius - Bleeding Heart. |
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| Persoonia linearis - Narrow-leaved Geebung. |
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| Persoonia linearis - Narrow-leaved Geebung. In several stages of pregnancy. |
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| Pterostylis longifolia - Tall Greenhood. One of the terrestrial orchids |
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| Pterostylis longifolia - Tall Greenhood. One of the terrestrial orchids. (as above). |
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| Acacia suaveolens - Sweet Wattle. |
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| Today's fungi. |
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| Pterostylis nutans - Nodding Greenhood, Parrot's Beak Orchid. One of the terrestrial orchids. |
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| Pterostylis nutans - Nodding Greenhood, Parrot's Beak Orchid. Growing in 2 inches of leaf litter on large rock. (apologies for the photo quality) |
Pterostylis nutans - Nodding Greenhood Orchid
Unwanted 'wildlife?'.
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| Drosera peltata - Pale Sundew, Shield Sundew. |
TODAY'S LANDSCAPE / HABITAT.
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| Red gum, lichen and moss. |
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| Sydney sandstone bushland saved by being too steep to build on by early developers. |
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| Houses are behind me on the ridge tops. |
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| 'Phantom of The Opera' Organ pipes and mask in rotting tree stump. |
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| No soil so the tree root just oozes out over the rock. |
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| Viewed from other side. |
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| And where the trunk flows over the rock, nearly becoming one. |
Great photos, thanks. I've lived next to Bidjigal on and off for 40 years. It's amazing the variety of plant life you see when you get down to ground level. I only noticed things like sundews and ground orchids recently, for example.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I was also amazed to find the things I did. Thank you for your comment.
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