Chile 5 - Chilean Orchids

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In my previous blogs, I’ve shown you trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, bulbs and alpines but in this one, I’m going to restrict myself to orchids. These are not blowsy, exotic, tropical plants but ones growing in temperate (or even chilly) places that we may be able to grow in our gardens.

The first one we saw came on the first day when we were looking for the rosulate violas. It is chloraea alpina – how about this for a picnic spot? (it’s the view we had as we ate our lunch)

All but one of those we saw had either yellow or white flowers, often with markings. This is chloraea galeata

Chloraea virescens

and chloraea magellanica

Chloraea nudilabia, the exception to the white or yellow flowers

Gavileas are similar to the chloraeas, the main difference being their flowers have lobes. This is gavilea venosa

Gavilea lutea

Despite the name, we could not detect much perfume from gavilea odoratissima (which means very scented)

And the tiny gavilea araucana

Finally, this is codonorchis lessonii which grows in shady woodland. Usually these grew with just one or two plants together but occasionally we came across a larger group, lighting up a dark corner

To be continued ….

• 21 Jan, 2011
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