Second cluster of rare orchid discovered near Boambee, new South Wales

Teacher and botany enthusiast Nick Lambert recently located a second cluster of the orchids near Boambee, approximately 5 kilometers from the original site. “I went to a rainforest near Boambee in the foothills of the mountains and managed to find another population of them, around 50 or so, and that was pretty awesome actually,” he said.

Lambert is a friend of botanist Lachlan Copeland, after whom the orchid – officially named *Danhatchia copelandii* – was named following Copeland’s discovery of the species in 2018. Copeland confirmed Lambert’s finding the day after, expressing excitement at the discovery.

The orchid is notoriously difficult to spot. It blends seamlessly with the rainforest floor, lacks leaves and photosynthesis, and relies entirely on a fungus beneath the soil for nutrients. It grows to about 10 centimeters tall, with reddish, hairy stems and tiny flowers.

Copeland, who has previously shown the original orchid site to around 30 botanists without success, remarked, “And then Nick rocks up and finds a much bigger and better population in all respects, so he showed us all up, much to his credit.” The new site significantly increases the known population of the orchid.

Copeland has observed between six and seven plants at the original Bonville site in recent years, with a record of 17 this spring. The combined population now exceeds 60 plants. “I’ve surveyed it quite thoroughly every spring, with the most plants seen being 43 and the least about four. It’s only visible for a few weeks each year.”

The new location is set to become part of the protected Great Koala National Park, a development welcomed by Copeland.

Chief scientist at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Brett Summerell, described the discovery as “very significant,” highlighting its importance for genetic diversity and providing a crucial backup location. He emphasized the orchid’s inability to be cultivated, stating, “They are impossible to cultivate in propagation, we can’t do that at the Botanic Gardens, so we are really dependent on making sure those populations in the ground are viable.”

A specimen of the orchid will be officially identified and added to the collection at the National Herbarium of NSW in Mount Annan.