New Hope for the Brilliant Sun Orchid
A small Australian lab is offering new hope for the Brilliant Sun Orchid. This endangered species is one of 15 rare Aussie natives that the lab is trying to grow from seed to bolster wild populations. Thelymitra mackibbinii, a.k.a. the Brilliant Sun Orchid, has suffered from habitat destruction, competition from alien plants, and damage from introduced animals. “The total number of wild plants is less than 30 and the future for this plant was thought to be bleak,” says Dr. Noushka Reiter. The Australian government, volunteer groups, and the Australian Native Orchid Society are sponsoring her lab in the state of Victoria. “Some of the species that we’re growing here, it’s the first time that they’ve ever been germinated and grown so it’s an exciting process with lots of firsts.” The news article includes great photos of the orchids in the wild and in the lab.
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April 10th, 2011 at 2:24 pm
Pretty! I hope they can save it. Thanks for the blog post.
April 14th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
it is a very nice post
June 14th, 2011 at 4:05 am
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July 14th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
[…] Australia is home to many fascinating and unusual species, like the Brilliant Sun Orchid, and also numerous varieties of Dendrobium, Pterostylis, and Sarcochilus. […]