Story: Orchids

Vagrant orchid

Vagrant orchid

Vagrant species arrive naturally at a site, but do not form long-term sustainable populations. New Zealand shares about 40% of its orchid species with Australia. Orchid seeds are very light, and are easily carried across the Tasman Sea in air currents or on the feet of migrating birds. Some New Zealand orchids with very localised distributions are probably recent arrivals from Australia. Included in this group is this species, Chiloglottis valida, found in several exotic pine plantations and in native forest.

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New Zealand Native Orchids
Photograph by Michael Pratt

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How to cite this page:

Ian St George, 'Orchids - Orchids of open scrub and wetland', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/9941/vagrant-orchid (accessed 24 April 2024)

Story by Ian St George, published 24 Sep 2007