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Scientific Name
Calochilus herbaceus
Family Name
ORCHIDACEAE
Common Name
Pale Beard Orchid
Status
Height
0.15m - 0.4m (15-40cm)
Flowers
Floral segments not spreading widely, and a labellum that has a sparse, often uneven beard, recurved apex and narrow regular blue, sometimes purplish plates not completely covering the base.
Fruit
Papery capsule
Form
Slender beard orchid narrow, short leaf.
Municipalities
Burnie; Clarence; Derwent Valley; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Hobart; Huon Valley; King Island; Kingborough; Latrobe; Launceston; Northern Midlands; Sorell; Tasman; Waratah-Wynyard; West Coast; West Tamar
Communities
Heath; Sedgeland and Wetland
Habitat Notes
Prefers sedgeland and heathland on poorly drained or damp peats, clays and sandy soils. Also in tea tree scrub. Widespread and common in lowland areas except for much of the east coast. Also occurs on King Is and Furneaux Group Is. Tas. endemic.
Site Tolerance
Exposed; Moist; Waterlogged
Frost Tolerance
Tender
Soil Tolerance
Clay; Loam; Poor; Poorly-drained; Sandy
General Notes
Suitable below powerlines.
Propagation Details
Propagation Calendar
Flowering Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Seed Collecting Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Sowing Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Cutting Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Seed Information
Seed Collection
Seed Treatment Method
Standard
Seed Storage Life
Viable Seeds Per Gram
Seed Treatment Notes
Orchid seeds are very minute yellow, brown or blackish dust-like particles. Orchid seeds are produced within a capsule that splits at maturity and releases tousands to millions of seeds. Dispersed by wind and water and only germinate following infection of the embryo by a suitable mycorrhizal fungus. Very few seeds become mature plants. For more information see Jones, Wapstra, Tonelli, Harris (1999): The Orchids of Tasmania.
Germination Time
Suitable for Direct Seeding
Cuttings
Expected Time to Take Root
Expected Time to Plant Out
Propagation by Division
N.B. Transplant only from nearby to avoid disease.
Cutting Notes
Copyright 2000-2009, Understorey Network Incorporated. Updated 2024-10-10
Database development and website design by
Andrew Smith