Melbourne scientists battle to save rare Caladenia spider orchid from extinction

Updated

A small team of scientists is trying to save a threatened orchid that is so rare the ABC cannot reveal its real name or exact location.

The Caladenia spider orchid, a dainty plant with five white thin long petals and a touch of purple, is found only in a small bushy reserve east of Melbourne.

Environmental scientist Graeme Lorimer has been combing the area for the tiny orchid for 20 years.

"We're down to two on the planet. We had a couple of dozen a couple of decades ago," he said.

"It's very close to extinction. Another drought could see this species disappear from the planet."

Of the two plants that exist, only one flowered this year. That plant is covered with a cage and is monitored around the clock by a video camera.

Botanists from the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne are now working with volunteers to try and save the plant.

They have collected pollen in the hope of fertilising the flower and creating seeds.

In a basement deep in the botanic gardens building, around 50 seeds are being kept cool in a climate-controlled environment.

The corpse flower

Find out about another of the Royal Botanic Gardens' famous flowers, which Find out about another of the Royal Botanic Gardens' famous flowers, which bloomed for the first time last year.

"In fact one of the seeds has a tiny little green shoot and that was very exciting," botanist Rob Cross said.

"We will use those plants to set up a seed orchid here at the Royal Botanic Gardens so we can cross-pollinate plants and use more seed we can put out in the wild."

Victoria is a hotspot for orchid diversity with up to 400 different species, but more than half of those are threatened.

Mr Lorimer says that is why volunteers will continue to do line searches in the small reserve.

"Well we live in hope for one more plant," he said.

"Sadly it's loved to death. People love orchid flowers. There's a class of people who must have photos of the rarest orchids.

"Last year when this plant came up it only took a day before somebody holding the stem bent it and the thing flopped over."

Topics: endangered-and-protected-species, environment, environmental-management, melbourne-3000

First posted