Should we be energetic enough to take a scramble through 
the higher levels of the park in summer, we may be fortunate 
enough to find the leafless Wild Hyacinth. Dipodium punctatum, 
as its name suggests, is a plant with spotted flowers. Quite a 
tall orchid, it makes a fine picture at a season of the year when 
wildflowers are rather scarce. 
If we visited these upper regions during the winter and 
searched in the gullies among the moss and maidenhair fern, we 
would probably find the quaint little Helmet Orchids. Fragile 
little flowers, almost too delicate to face the sun, they nestle 
away in the damp and very often elude the eye of the seeker. 
The botanist would call them either Corysanthes dilatata or 
C. dime nic a, for both species are found there. 
In similar situations we will find many of the Greenhoods. 
Pterostylis curta and P. robusta are both large-flowered species, 
the former preferring the moister situations. If we are very 
lucky we may discover the handsome P. cucullata. This species 
has beautiful chocolate markings on the hood, but is found only 
in some of the less frequented parts of the park. The Dwarf 
Greenhood, P. nana, grows everywhere, even in the most inhos- 
pitable situations. Most people have seen the Banded Green- 
hood, P. vittata, and amused themselves with its sensitive tongue. 
We can often find the small cluster of reddish-brown flowers 
peeping cut from the protection of a small, prickly bush. 
When next you find a Red Beard, Calochilus Robertsonii, at 
the National Park, take a small hand lens and inspect the hairs on 
its labellum. You will be amazed at the beauty you will see there. 
Another quaint orchid is Lyperanthus nigricans. Usually 
it is known as the Red Beak orchid, but I have heard it called 
Little Red Riding Hood, and looking at the flower in fancy one 
could readily recognize the description. Unless the locality you 
are searching has been burnt recently by a bush fire, you will 
find many more of the thick, fleshy leaves than flowers. 
Even in autumn you will find there some representatives of 
this family. The dainty Parson's Bands, Eriochilus cucullatus , 
delights in hard, dry conditions, and in its company you will find 
the dwarf Prasophyllum nigricans. Several species of Praso- 
phyllum have large flower spikes growing up to two or three feet 
high. You will recognize the plants by their leek-like leaves and 
the flowers which are turned upside down with the tongue, or 
labellum as it properly called, uppermost. P. datum and P. 
odoratum are two large species which you will find regularly in 
the park. The latter is strongly fragrant. 
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