המועדפים של lorrainecphelan

1st iNat Record 😊
Flower is only ~4mm wide.

4 Petals.
Basal leaves are spatulate, with newer/upper leaves being heavily lobed.

@rhytiphora Mark, this is on your place, a new one for your plant list.

It's classed as RARE in our region and only 39 records exist on Atlas in South Australia, 109 on Atlas in Australia.

www.ellura.info/OtherSmallPlant.html#Phlegmatospermum-eremaeum

Plants growing under Melaleuca uncinata. Flowers are completely underground except for a ring of bracts pushing above the ground and leaf litter under the trees. Tiny flies were observed leaving the flower.

Flowers were gently excavated, bracts eased open. After photos were taken, the bracts were closed, sand and leaf litter repositioned around flower.

Very few of these plants are observed and classed as Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant).

Unfortunately during 1988 a wildfire burnt the area and the orchids have not been relocated at this location.

Fuhrer mentions this species mainly occurring on B. marginata but also found on other species. These were on B. spinulosa, which is the species that Banksiamyces macrocarpus is found on but these specimens match the description of Banksiamyces toomansis. Largest was 5mm across and they had an overall powdery appearance to them.

Growing in company with Wilsonia backhousei (Narrow-leaf Wilsonia) in the foreground; Frankenia pauciflora (Southern sea-heath; re curved leaves) in patches to left and right; some Salicornia quinqueflora quinqueflora (Beaded glasswort) in the background.