Seeking Out Australian Native Orchids #19

My orchid journey started 20 months ago in the Blue Mountains. My wife suggested a day trip. Could I find a way to avoid shopping? The good news is she invited a friend = shopping partner. I floated the idea of taking my bicycle. "While you are shopping I could take a ride and a walk and then meet you at the next town". "Good idea", she says.

It was already hot as we drove up to the mountains with temperatures reaching 32C (90F) when we reached Katoomba. This is unusual as Katoomba stands some 1200 metres (3800 feet) higher than Sydney. The Blue Mountains are a series of sandstone cliffs weathered away by wind and rain and the river gorges. They are populated with eucalyptus bush which looks blue from the distance - hence the name. Give the closeness to Sydney (120 kms or 80 miles), it is a popular spot especially at weekends and the visitor traffic befits its ranking as a World Heritage Centre.

Now I have hiked sections of the tracks before and that is where I am heading - a known track dropping from the top below Katoomba Falls to the Scenic Railway. That gives me an hour trip out and a contingency trip back on the railway if I need it. I have no idea if there are orchids here - my friend Jan has never posted photos from this area. Maybe with good reason.

The walk down begins in impressive style dropping below the sandstone cliffs and offers great views across the valley to Mt Solitary - not hiked there yet - and the 3 Sisters..

I do take the branch off the track to the undercliff falls - this affords great views of Katoomba Falls. It is very busy with weekend foot traffic.

Not far from this side track begins a set of stairs down the steep section - called the Furber Steps. I catch sight of a bud that has finished flowering. It has the shape of an orchid bud - trust my luck to miss the flowers by one or two days.

Then I notice a flower and a cluster of leaves - they look more like a succulent than an orchid. This is new territory for me.

The plants are hanging to the steep cliffside and there is a fair amount of soil clustered around the rootzone. The flower has a distinctive petal almost like the frilled shirt the Victorian gentlemen used to wear

Count the elements - indeed there are 6 plus the column.

Identification is done at home. It is a Rock Orchid and the streaks on the sepals are distinctive. It is a Streaked Rock Orchid (Dockrillia Striolata). These are quite common though there are many forms.

I do note on the way up and down the steps that there is another rock orchid but not ready to flower. This is for next time

That is if my knees can deal with the steps.

Note: Photographs taken on November 12, 2016