What is this?

[Jox]

When I first saw the ground starting to lift a little under an avo tree a couple of days ago I was sure I would see some shrooms there soon but to my surprise something I can't ID popped up.

These weird little flower stalks were found under an avo tree in the mountains in s/e QLD, they stand about 15cm tall, I assume they are flowers & figure they have sprouted from a bulb but I have never spotted them anywhere before. If anyone knows what this plant is I would love to here about it, here are some photos

A closer look at one of the flowers

.

Thanks for looking.

Cheers

Jox

[tarenna]

Looks like Epipogyium roseum - a native saprophytic orchid..

score

[tarenna]

Make that Epipogium roseum - I have only come across it once. Big score with so many flowers present - usually present as single flower spikes/plants.

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Epipogium~roseum

[Jox]

Thank mate, I was just thinking it might be some kind of orchid.

Can they be dug up & put into a pot? they look very delicate so I did not disturb the soil to investigate.

Cheers

Jox

[tarenna]

Because they are entirely saprophytic I think digging them up and transplanting them would be challenging at best (and potentially not achievable). I am aware of some success transplanting the similarly saprophytic Eastern Underground Orchid, Rhizanthella slateri ,from the largest known population at Bulahdelah. Predictions were made (including by myself) that transplanting would fail, but a successful method was developed...

If you were looking to transplant and maintain an Epipogium you would need to look at a suitable medium and transplant method. Research into the specifics of transplanting Rhizanthella would be helpful.

[Jox]

Thanks for all the help & useful information tarenna,

I have done a bit of reading on them this arvo & I would have to agree that it would be a very big change to transplant them & I am also very lucky to see such a beautiful & rear natural phenomenon. These were growing at the property were I work as the gardener, just down the road from my house. If I was not renting I would consider trying to transplant one as the soil & conditions would be very similar but the idea of looking at a pot of soil for a year just to find out I had failed & killed a little gem would be disappointing to say the least.

I will just have to keep my job & hope to see them next year. I will be keeping my eyes open in hope of spotting some more growing in other locations up here in the mountains.

Cheers

Jox

[planthelper]

can we have a pic with the flowers opened, and I guess the plant turned green.

show us the orchid in full bloom!

[ThunderIdeal]

and I guess the plant turned green.

maybe not, since they don't make food in the usual plant way.

i found an orchid something like this once in full flower and it blew my mind! i might have decided it was parasitic, but it's method of feeding is closer to that of a fungus.

Edited November 2, 2013 by ThunderIdeal

[Jox]

Hey planthelper, that last picture is a flower fully open. They don't turn green & sometimes don't stand fully erect, hence they common names "noddy orchid or ghost orchid". You should read the link tarenna added as it has all the relevant info.

Cheers

Jox

Edited November 2, 2013 by Jox

[Jox]

maybe not, since they don't make food in the usual plant way.

i found an orchid something like this once in full flower and it blew my mind! i might have decided it was parasitic, but it's method of feeding is closer to that of a fungus.

It was interesting to read that this orchid spends its entire life feeding on fungus. The fungus breaks down plant martial & the orchid feeds of the fungus. Very interesting.

Cheers

Jox

[ThunderIdeal]

ahhh so it is a parasite.

i can see how i led myself astray so check this:

there appears to be some ambiguity around the term saprophyte, which sometimes takes on the definition of the word saprotroph (feeding on dead organic matter). in this case the word saprophyte (as in saprophytic plant) can be more accurately exchanged for myco-heterotroph.

google challenge! i wonder if any non-parasitic, non-photosynthesising plants can produce food fungus style. fungal association is okay as long as it's a nutrient/water thing.

Edited November 2, 2013 by ThunderIdeal

[tarenna]

^^ I don't think that saprophytes are parasites. Many orchid pseudobulbs are edible with a high starch content. I speculate that various subterranean saprophytic orchids such as the Eastern Underground Orchid, Rhizanthella slateri, Leafless Tongue Orchid, Cryptostylis hunteriana and the Ghost Orchid, Epipogium roseum are edible. Problem is that are either so rare, or so hard to find that they are highly unlikely to be able to be chowed-down..

[ThunderIdeal]

respectful of your knowledge of plants, but i maintain that there appears to be confusion around the word saprophyte and given the confusion i can't put the matter to rest because being a google expert has its limitations.

do any plants truly get their food from dead organic matter? i venture that the answer might be NO, and i can't imagine why a symbiotic association would arise between a fungus and a plant, in which the fungus shares its food (in exchange for what?).

edit: this statement, for instance, doesn't fully make sense from my point of view.

" In the astonishing world of the botany,the saprophytic orchids are different from others due to the fact that they donot carry chlorophyll. Therefore,they need to find food from the organic matters on the forest floor and through the help of the mycorrhizal fungi. The saprophytic orchids will allow mycorrhizal fungi to live inside the tubers or the roots. Those fungi will emit the enzyme to digest the organic matters and will in turn bring about the mutrition needed for the orchids. Water and sugar from the orchids would be the elements given to the fungi in return. "

i think this from wiki is probably the definitive answer and makes it clear just how unclear the word saprophyte is.

Saprophytes may refer to

• Saprotroph, a term used for organisms which obtain nutrients from dead organic matter (this term commonly applies to fungi)
• Saprophytes are a plant, fungus, or micro-organism, more accurately called myco-heterotrophs because they actually parasitize fungi, rather than dead organic matter directly. They live on dead or decomposing matter.

Edited November 2, 2013 by ThunderIdeal

[etherealdrifter]

Saprophytes - fungus herders a stoned mate told me once.fark i thought, that's a real life problem for a politician.

grow more solar panels is an option the gov't should start touting......

"What's wrong with ya, grow more solar out of those armpits dang nang it.

[Nezahualcoyotl]

We know them as "Ghost Pipes" in North America and they have medicinal (possibly even psychoactive) uses, tho I'm not sure about this species.

[Nezahualcoyotl]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotropa_uniflora