A Recent New Orchid genus for South Australia

In a recent paper found in the Orchadian, (Volume 15 number 1), David Jones and Mark Clements have further split Chiloglottis so that it is now three genera.. ie

1: Chiloglottis in the strict sense is a genus of summer-autumn flowering species with very small flowers and insect like decoys on the labellum ie Chiloglottis reflexa which is thought to have occurred in SA before land clearance and still occurs in the adjacent Glenelg River National Park.

2: Simpliciglottis (the bird orchids) is a genus of large, spring-summer flowered species without any insect decoy on the labellum as in Simpliciglottis cornuta from our South-east and the better known S. valida which apparently once grew in the Mt Lofty Ranges.

3: Myrmechila (ant orchids) of spring-summer flowering species with ant shaped decoy on the labellum as in M. trapeziformis from near Comaum in our South-east.  This is a species I was once shown by Kath Alcock at Comaum…. but felling of pines has changed the environment so that these days I would be unlikely to find them again!

In the same paper the authors succinctly validate the reasons for accepting theirs and others segregate genera in Caladenia and I believe we will come to accept these names in SA.

A less happy aspect of their paper is the resurrection of the name Sullivania for what we presently call Paracaleana…but as the original author (Mueller) soon rejected the name I’ll be quite happy if we can too.  Yes I am in favour of the conservation of Paracaleana!