Australia: Litchfield NP – Tropical Hyacinth-Orchid

These are Tropical Hyacinth Orchids aka Dipodium stenocheilum. These rather rare orchids are endemic to NT in Australia and lie dormant for up to 10 months per year, and only after the start of the annual tropical rains, they shoot out with large (up to 1 m) stems that carries 10-25 large white flowers with pink spots and tinges. These orchid are saprophytic, meaning they live in symbiosis with underground mushrooms that provide the orchids with nutrients, thus eliminating the need for green leaves or any photosynthesis. It was amazing to see these orchids popping up from the ground everywhere, it almost felt like they didn’t belong to the rather inhospitable landscape.
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