24th November - Gastrodia sesimoides - Potato Orchid

Gastrodia sesimoides



Description:
Plant slender to moderately robust; rhizomes tuberous, thick, fleshy, scaly, to 8 cm long and c. 3 cm across; stem erect, dark-brown, 30-80 cm high and 2-7 mm diam.; sheathing scales loose and very obtuse, shortly acute sometimes acuminate, c. 1 cm long, crowded at the base, distant higher up.

A declared rare plant but probably more common than imagined. It probably does not need to flower as it doesn't achieve anything from this, in that it has no leaves and seems to be able to happily grow underground without attention.

Flowering:
Flowers from October to November.

Threats:
Don't know.

Management:
This orchid appears without warning and normally disappears. Three have appeared at Wirrapunga. I have difficulty getting them to reappear. I will keep you informed.