Bushwalk Australia

Delightful looking fungus on Baw Baw plateau. Found four of them in different areas. My first sighting. Looks on it's way out.

Those things are weird! Have seen them around Port Macquarie.

To the Cycads, I'm always curious that you come across a band of them in a certain spot and elevation. A pair of treking poles held handles-up helps walking between them.

Not quite Flora but it is a Fun Gi!!! Growing around a tree...

Heaps of Blotched Hyacinth Orchids (Dipodium variegatum) out around the area. So good to see.

Also lots of Christmas Bush in flower along the Georges River.

Fungus on Baw Baw: that is a Stinkhorn, Aseroe rubra, Phallus rubicundus and others. I believe they exist around the world, breaking down forest litter (and garden mulch).

We first met then in the Cobberas, many years ago. We seem to have brought some of the spores back with us to Sydney, as we periodically get them on the farm now. It was not intentional, and maybe they were already here? It would seem they might.

Ahh - they can be toxic, so leave them alone.

Cheers
Roger

Every year I seem to come across one Hyacinth Orchid that is late to the flowering party. All the others around the area are well and truly finished flowering by now but not this one.

Mt Sturgeon, a month ago. After our recent rain we should get some nice wildflowers in late autumn.

Brisbane Laurel seeds are out and they look great.

Orchids (caladenia sp.) seen today on Blackhorse Ridge, Blue Mountains.

Earthstar fungi (Geostrum sp) found today in the Lower Blue Mountains. And yeah, they puffed out a good sized jet of spores when prodded, just like latter day Triffids.

Back fence of the farm. Amanita muscaria, Fly Agaric. Probably not good eating ...


Cheers
Roger

Spotted this Tiny Greenhood Orchid today. It was so small I thought it was a blade of grass. Lucky I took a second look. Sorry for the poor photo, only had my old phone camera with me.

EDIT.
Went for another visit to this spot today and found three more just metres away.

And not 20m away found some Nodding Greenhoods as well. What a great afternoon.

Does this count as flora? Not a plant, still cool though.

Mycena interupta A lot of people's favourite fungus. Rather late in the season for it.

Interesting looking fungus I noticed this morning.

I have been looking in vain for any sign of life in my favourite patch of Pterostylus then by accident I found a new patch growing in my front lawn of all darn places!

Very very tiny seeds. Could you have brought them back with you?
I suspect we brought Stinkhorns back from the Cobberas once.
Cheers

Huge numbers of Greenhoods and Pixie Caps out around Campbelltown at the moment. Never seen so many before.

rcaffin wrote:Very very tiny seeds. Could you have brought them back with you?
I suspect we brought Stinkhorns back from the Cobberas once.
Cheers

Thats interesting Roger, my "favourite patch" is only about 30m away so quite possible those tiny seeds you mention could have travelled on my shoes ( or have been blown in by the wind?).

Shoes or wind, either way, doesn't matter.
I like greenhoods.


Cheers
Roger

Note the gumnut in the bottom right for sizing.

GregG wrote:I have been looking in vain for any sign of life in my favourite patch of Pterostylus then by accident I found a new patch growing in my front lawn of all darn places!

Sad news- my new found patch of Greenhood orchids has been totally destroyed by #$@#ing white cockatoos !

Sydney Rock Orchids, just starting to come out (West Head this morning)

Ladies Fingers just starting to appear, our farm way N of Horsnby.


Also Sydney Rose (Boronia serrulata)

Cheers
Roger

Brown Beak Orchid (Lyperanthus suaveolens)

Plain Sun Orchid (Thelymitra nuda).
EDIT: Scented or Spotted Sun Orchid not Plain.

After completing my COVID project to walk every bushwalk in my local LGA (Ku-ring-gai) I thought I'd take my real camera out for a walk. Plan was to photograph birds with my telephoto 70-350mm. Didn't get a single bird photo but discovered the telephoto works well with flowers!
Please "Educate yourself", as they say in social media, and correct me if I have identified any wrongly.

Thelymitra crinita - Blue Lady Orchids are endemic to WA. My bet is on it being a Spotted Sun Orchid (Thelymitra ixioides) sans the spots. No spots is common amongst this type of orchid and they are very common around Sydney. The white stripes on the back of the petals also makes me think it is a Spotted.

Agree re ixiodes.
Cheers
Roger

Thanks michael_p and rcaffin for confirming (now updated). Lockdown is a good time for me to learn more than just that's a Pea, Orchid, Boronia, Wax Flower...

FYI the photos were shot with a Sony 6400 and a Sony 70-350mm f/4.5-6. G OSS. Most with a tripod because focus was problematic (some look a bit out of focus on bushwalk.com but they are sharp on my laptop, compression maybe). The photos were cropped.

With a full frame camera, you probably need more than a 350mm because with a few exceptions, native flowers are small. A lens that offers good reach, say 500mm and a full frame camera, you really could get some exceptional photos.

I did try lens extenders for macro a while ago but the depth of field didn't work for me. A telephoto seems to offer a good depth of field and nice bokeh but others with more than next to no experience, will offer better advice.