This portrait gallery is for Restlessjo, to whom I promised the next orchid I stumbled across.
First sighting of an orchid I've never seen before is always very exciting. The list is growing – duck orchid, bearded orchid, spiral orchid, glossodia: I've spotted these with my own eyes. Other acquaintances have been by courtesy of J's eyes.
This one was the youngest thing we saw in a day's ramble: considerably younger than the basalt (28 million years) and the sandstone (25 million).
Its petals were freshly unfurled, still slightly ruffled by their sojourn in the bud casing. The bronze sepals were longer than any I have seen on donkey orchids and the whole inflorescence was larger. There it was sitting splendidly beside the track, pinky purple, with yellow in its throat, and a white sticky disc on the upright sepal, just waiting for a native bee pollinator. Instead it had an enraptured woman, saying loudly “What is this? What is this?”
Then the homage began: flat on my belly with two cameras alternating, determined not to miss out on this special gift at the end of a day of gifts.
I'll be away for a few weeks, holidaying with an orchid loving friend. I probably won't be visiting your blogs or posting many of my own, except scheduled ones, until I return home. Enjoy the break!
What a glorious gift, Meg! Thank you so much 🙂 I was just about to shut up shop and do something useful with myself but then I thought I’d just pop and see you first (working backwards through the posts as I always do, but now I have the answer to your packing escapades) Have a wonderful time! What joys we have in store when you return 🙂
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Meg, have a great trip, and may you see many more stunning orchids!
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Ahh what a lovely goodbye gift, thank you Meg and enjoy your trip, I’ll miss you x:-)x
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Ah a woman after my own heart. Flat on her belly, photographing flowers. These are beautiful shots.
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Well this is a superb way to leave us, what a beauty! have fun with your orchid loving friend, hope we’ll get to see more discoveries on your return 🙂
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This is so lovely. Have fun. 🙂
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What a whopper – orchid wise. I can see how it got its name when the flowers are seen in profile. Have good break orchid appreciating in good company.
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