By Harold Goidsack. 
S.A. SAT., VOU XwJ 
November, 1932. i 
this species can be found anywhere in sandy ground, but they, 
are seldom found in flower. Just why this should be so is a. 
problem of orchidologists. (They flower after bush-fires — Kd.). 
A tiny^ autumn-flowering plant Is Erwchilus aicullatnn 
(Labill.) Rcichb.f, (Eriochiliis aytu7n7Uilis, R.Br.). 'bhe flcavers. 
of this plant seem to push up through the hardest of grciund. , 
and afterwards the leaf comes up and develops. They arc (juitc 
plentiful in ApriK 
The genus Caladenia is well known to most people as con- 
laining the spider orchids. Of the spidery type, the commnncst 
here is C. leptachila, Fitg/.. It is most abundant. - C. dilatata. 
R.’Br., is also very plentiful and unfortunately is ruthlessly pidccd 
by thoughtless holiday-makers. C. reticulata, Fitgz., is common 
at Blackwood, but two solitary plants are all that 1 have found 
here. It is difficult to understand whyi there shoulid be such 
^ disparity in the numbers of one species in two adjacent districts 
when other species are so common in both. 
C. Patersoniij R.Br., the beautiful cream and pink-flowered 
BO^cies is becoming noticeably rarer each' year. A bush-fire has 
a rrofound effect on tlie flowering of some orchids, and this was 
demonstrated to me one year by a patch of C. Meiiziesn, R.Br. 
This patch, which was about six feet square, contained huntireds 
of plants from which in normal years one or two dozen flowers 
were produced; the season following the bush-fire every plant in 
the community, no matter what its size, burst into flower and 
clothed the ground with a mantle of pink and white. It was 
almost impossible to find a leaf without a flower. One of rny 
treasures here is a community of albino plants of this same 
species. *riie flowers arc little gems of snow-white purity. 
C. carnea, R.Br., and C,. latifolia, R.Br., favour damp gullies 
and other moist places. 
C. deformiSy R.Br., is wcl!i known to all, and is very plentiful 
here. 
Glossodia major, R.Br., is the orchid which takes the prize 
for making the best show in this scrub. It is a delight to see 
the ground covered with these beautiful purple flowers, all 
facing upwards to catch the spring sunshine. 
Very populai among wild flower gatherers arc tlie species 
of Diuris, Unfortunately so! Of these we have here D. pedun- 
ndata, R.Br., a common yeI!ow-flowered plant with several 
forms, some being tall and slender, and others short and robust 
with flowers as different as their habit. 
D. pahistris, Lind!. A very sweetly-scented brown and yellow- 
flowered plant; the .scent is most noticeable when the flowers 
are in strong sunligiit. 
