Habenaria medusa first flowering and others

When I arrived in Rockhampton last year I noticed that the weather here was very similar in most respects to Townsville, just without the evening breeze sometimes during Summer - so things here in Summer have certainly been hot and humid! As part of my move here I decided to get back to some of the terrestrials that I had certainly had fun with previously over the years. I started collecting various species including Nervilia species, and a handful of Australian natives, and Habenaria species too. The latter are a bit tricky to find in cultivation, but I have a few now in the collection doing well, one of which is H. medusa. This species I managed to kill when I first attempted growing it back in South Africa a few years ago. In retrospect the conditions were just too cool, and humidity too low. I was understandably nervous when I got one last year, but it grew like a weed without much prompting at all. It is just coming into bloom now with nine buds beginning to open sequentially, and on my son's birthday! I will update some images below as the flowers progress through the week.

A day before opening - begins to unfurl slowly

Nearly fully extended

13 March 2020

13 March 2020

All open 21 March 2020

Fully open bloom detail

The other habenarias are also showing signs of growth and getting ready to bloom. I was surprised this morning to find my Habenaria dentata sprouting new multiple growth from an exposed root on the surface of the potting media. Habenaria rhodocheila should flower in the next few weeks, and Habenaria regnieri a little thereafter (see below).

Multiple additional growth from exposed root of Habenaria dentata

Habenaria rhodocheila with developing flowering head

Habenaria regnieri with developing flowering head

I also managed to get some Nervilia peltata plants from Ian at Burleigh Park Orchids in Townsville. These are tiny little chaps native to northeastern Queensland (see additional info here). They were only described in 1994, and are probably quite scarce in cultivation. I hope they do as well as my other Nervilia species.

Nervilia peltata