Dale China Orchid
Cyanicula sp. ‘Dale’
Notes
This yet to be formally named species is closely related to the similar Blue China Orchid (Cyanicula gemmata), but can be readily distinguished by the pale colour of its flowers and the fact that the yellow and white calli are arranged in neat rows rather than being scattered across the labellum. The colour of the flowers is somewhat variable, even within a single population, and can range from mauve to pure white.
The Dale China Orchid is confined to a small area of the Darling Scarp and adjacent western Wheatbelt east of Perth, where it grows in Wandoo woodland next to winter-wet flats and can be locally abundant. Like many other China Orchids, it will not flower unless its habitat got burned during the previous summer. As a result of this unusual life cycle, the Dale China Orchid is a rarely seen species and was only discovered in 2001. It may well be more widespread than currently known.
Photos
References
- Cyanicula sp. ‘Dale’ in the Atlas of Living Australia
- Cyanicula sp. ‘Dale’ in the Western Australian FloraBase