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Gastrodia sesamoides

Item Code: Gasses
Price:  $4.00
leafless ground Orchid

Gastrodia sesamoides

Item Code: Gasses
Price:  $4.00
leafless ground Orchid
Sorry, this item isn't presently available for purchase

online, but can be purchased from the nursery during the season it is in flower, around November.

Gastrodia sesamoides, otherwise known as Potato Orchids or "Cinnamon Bells" are amongst the taller orchids of Australia, reaching to 1m. They are only obvious when flowering as they are leafless! As can be seen in this photo taken in the Nursery and grounds at Clairvaux, their brown colouring makes them harder to spot than other brightly-coloured orchids. Belonging to a small group of leafless non-green orchids that obtain their nutrients through association of their roots with those of another plant, they live entirely off fungi growing in decaying plant matter, often growing in high rainfall areas. The common name "Potato Orchid" comes from the large tuber growing at the base of the plant.