Drakaea, [drake-ee-er] named in honour of Miss Drake, a botanical artist.

A West Australian genus of plants commonly called “Hammer Orchids,” owing to the curious hammer-like appearance and action of the lip, delicately poised on a slender, hinged, stem-like claw Flowers dull, dark reddish-purple and green, sepals and two petals narrow and inconspicuous. Leaf solitary at, or near, the base of stem.

Fitzgerald disagreed with many botanists regarding the sensitiveness of the lip of Drakaea assisting in the fertilisation of the species, except by attraction, and questioned its often asserted power of impelling an insect against the column.

Drakea Species in Western Australia

Drakea elastica, “PRAYING VIRGIN”; springy.
- see Orchid Illustration 3, no 5
Stem, 6 in.  ... Read more

Eriochilus, [air-ee-o-kyle-uss] from erios, wool, and cheilos, a lip; referring to the hairy or woolly surface of lip.

A genus closely allied to Caladenia, principally represented in Western Australia, but occurring also in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. Usually hairy plants, with leaf solitary at the base of, or higher up, the stem. Flower, one or more, pink and white. Lateral sepals longer than the erect upper one. Lip shorter. Species are commonly “Parson’s Bands” or “Donkey’s Ears.” Fertilised by insects and producing seed more freely than most orchids not self-fertilised.

Eriiochilus Species in Western Australia

Eriochilus dilatatus, broad.
Stem above 6 in. Leaf at or below the middle of stem, linear-lanceolate, sessile and stem-clasping. Flowers usually one, two or three.  ... Read more

Glossodia, [glos-o-dee-er] from glossa, a tongue, and oidos, like; referring to the tongue-like appendage within the flowers.

An Australian genus of five species. Usually hairy plants. Leaf solitary, oblong or lanceolate. Flowers one or two. Sepals and petals obtuse, nearly equal, spreading. This genus is closely allied to Caladenia, differing in the absence of calli on the surface of he lip, but having at its base calli-like appendages, distinct and large in West Australian species. It is divided into two sections, which might easily be considered distinct genera-one, peculiar to the Eastern States only, having one bifid (or cleft) appendage the base of the column; the other, endemic to Western Australia, with two basal appendages to the column.

West Australian species are known as “Enamel” “Wax” or “China Orchids” because of the shining appearance of the waxy upper surface of the flowers which are heavily spotted on the under side.  ... Read more

Leptoceras, [lep-toss-er-ass] from leptos, slender, and ceros, a horn.

Glabrous plants. Leaf short, broad and smooth. Sepals acute or rather obtuse, the upper one erect or incurved, concave, petals erect, linear-clavate (club-shaped), longer than the sepals. Note by Dr. Rogers: “The one species in this genus is closely allied to Caladenia Menziesii and the genu Eriochilus) which have been included under Leptoceras by some botanists. On the other hand the single member of the genus is commonly placed under Caladenia by taxonomist and is so included by Bentham.”

Leptoceras Species in Western Australia

Leptoceras fimbriatum, “HARE ORCHID” “FLY ORCHID”; fringed. (Caladenia fimbriata, Reichenbach, Eriochilus fimbriatus, F. von Mueller.)
- see Orchid Illustration 3, no 10
Stems 6in. to 1 ft.  ... Read more

Lake Clifton is a small town located on the east side of the lake of the same name in the Peel region of Western Australia just off the Old Coast Road, between Mandurah and Bunbury at the north end of the Yalgorup National Park. Lake Clifton contains basic accommodation and shopping, and a community hall offering a range of activities. A couple of roadhouses for passing trucks and motorists are located on Old Coast Road, while rural residential estates have sprung up at Tuart Grove.

Lyperanthus, [lie-per-an-thuss] from lyperos, mournful, and anthos, a flower; referring to the sombre appearance of the best known species, Lyperanthus nigricans, when dried.

A genus of about 12 species closely allied to Caladenia and extending to New Zealand and New Caledonia. Stems two or more-flowered, either with one radical leaf, or two or three almost leaf-like empty bracts, or with about two stem-leaves. The flowers which have the appearance of coarse spider orchids, are produced from sheathing bracts, and have the upper sepal broad and hooded.

Fitzgerald considered Lyperanthus an unsatisfactory inter-mediate genus, stating that it was “erroneously described by Bentham as producing small underground tubers, whereas the roots of Lyperanthus nigricans are clustered, thick and fleshy.”

Lyperanthus Species in Western Australia

Lyperanthus Forrestii, named in honour of Lord Forrest.  ... Read more

Microtis, [my-krow-tiss] from mikros, small, and ous, otos, an ear; referring to the appearance of the anthers.

A genus commonly called “Mignonette Orchids” in Western Australia, and somewhat similar to Prasophyllum in habit, but easily distinguished from it by the smaller flowers numerous on a terminal spike, which are usually greenish and not reversed. The stigma is enclosed within a hood formed by the lateral appendages of the column.

Fertilisation is performed by insects, which, by touching the very small and sensitive rostellum, cause the pollen either to fall and adhere to the stigma, or be carried by them to aother flower. Like Prasophyllum, species are considered difficult to identify.

The genus Microtis extends to New Zealand and also to New Caledonia, Java, Formosa, Philippines, Japan and Southern China.  ... Read more

Prasophyllum, [praise-o-fill-um ] from prasos, a leek, and phyilos, a leaf; referring to the leek-like leaves.

Species of this genus are commonly called “Leek Orchids.’  The genus is easily recognised by the sheathing leaf and spike of small inverted flowers, but many of the species are difficult to determine. The spikes of whitish flowers tinged or streaked with green and purple, are not specially attractive to the flower hunter, yet the beauty of a single bloom when beheld through a magnifying-glass is amazing. The sepals and petals are narrow and inconspicuous. The lip on the upper side of the flower is broad and slightly waved at the edge, often bearing an inner plate. The column is very short.

The various species of Prasophyllum are wholly dependent on insects for fertilisation, and there is a marked difference in the number fertilised according to situation.  ... Read more

Pterostylis, [terro-style-iss} from pteros, a wing, and stylos, a style.

The largest and one of the most interesting genera among Australian orchids, The various species are commonly called “Greenhoods” because of the shape and colour of the flower usually greenish, tinged or streaked with red or brown. The main part of the hood (known botanically as the galea) is formed of the upper sepal and the two lateral petals, lightly attached. The two lower sepals are joined to form a kind of forked door to the front of the hood. The lip usually is irritable, small and tongue like, with a spur at its base, and is placed inside the joined lower sepals. The long column concealed within the hood is winged hence the name Pterostylis.  … Read more

Thelymitra, [thel-ee-my-tra ], from thelys, a woman, and mitra, a cap; referring to the hooded column which bears a fanciful resemblance to a woman’s headdress.

Some of the most showy and beautiful of West Australian orchids belong to this genus, represented by many species, commonly called “Sun Orchids,” with variously coloured flowers, often sweetly scented, in a terminal raceme.

The flowers, unlike the usual orchid type, have, sepals and petals nearly equal in length, with the lip similar to and spreading with them. This striking characteristic occurs among Australian orchids only in this genus.

Many interesting experiments and observations were made and recorded by R. D. Fitzgerald in regard to the fertilisation of the various species of Thelymitra (some of which are capable of self-fertilisation while others are wholly dependent on insects) by artificial pollination with the aid of a pin, and the use of a bell-glass placed over a plant in the early stages of its development, thus precluding the possibility of insect fertilisation, and proving in many cases, the presence of the power of self-fertilisation.  … Read more