Blue China Orchid - Cyanicula gemmata
A large purple/blue flower to 50 mm (2") diameter, but usually less than 150 mm (6") in height. Flowers September/October on acid soils and often found on sandy slopes near ephemeral swamps and around granite outcrops. I have rarely found them together in any numbers, but more often as single or a few well-spaced plants, although they can be very common after summer bushfires. The leaf is relatively small and broad being to 40 mm x 20 mm wide (11/2" x 3/4"), which on the facing side it is green and hairy, but on the reverse is hairless and although initially green matures to the purple brown.
Update 22/12/08
The illustrations above have been changed to take into account the differences of three similar china orchids of the Esperance region according to a recent publication 'Orchids of Western Australia' by Andrew Brown et.al. Apparently the orchid I had previously listed as the Blue China Orchid is a new species and now tentatively called Cyanicula sp. 'Esperance' - Esperance China Orchid. To hopefully escape the influence of this orchid, the photos above were taken from plants 80 km NE of Esperance.
The illustrations above have been changed to take into account the differences of three similar china orchids of the Esperance region according to a recent publication 'Orchids of Western Australia' by Andrew Brown et.al. Apparently the orchid I had previously listed as the Blue China Orchid is a new species and now tentatively called Cyanicula sp. 'Esperance' - Esperance China Orchid. To hopefully escape the influence of this orchid, the photos above were taken from plants 80 km NE of Esperance.
