New Zealand has 26 genera of Orchid, consisting of over species. New species are being added to the list as various new varieties are confirmed. Below are some of the types of orchid native to New Zealand. Their leaves come in a range of shapes and sizes, with grass-like leaves being the most common. Their flowers form a concave hood which, in most species, is usually coloured green with translucent white stripes.
They are mainly an orchid of forest and scrub. The Greenhoods possess a touch sensitive lip. When touched by a small insect, it flips backwards and traps the insect within the flower. The only means of escape is to crawl over the stigma and through a small tunnel, then past the pollen to freedom. The lip usually resets itself again after half an hour. For more about Greenhood Orchids Click Here.
The Sun Orchids only open their flowers in full sun hence the name , and even then some refuse to open. Flowers range in colour from white through pink to deep blue.
The flowers are cm wide and each plant can have from one to twenty flowers. They have a single long thin leaf, with the flower stem emerging from the base of the leaf.
Most species of Sun Orchid prefer poor clay soils in open areas amongst scrub. They can also be found on roadside cuttings where they can get a foothold in the clay.
