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Culture & Care for the genus Corybas - Helmet Orchids
Introduction to the genus
Species
- Corybas abditus
- Corybas acuminatus (New Zealand)
- Corybas adunca (New Guinea)
- Corybas carsei (New Zealand) May be identical with the Australian C. fordhamii.
- Corybas cheesemanii - Spurred Helmet Orchid (New Zealand)
- Corybas cryptanthus (New Zealand)
- Corybas despectans
- Corybas diemenicus (Australia)
- Corybas dienemus (New Zealand)
- Corybas dilatatus
- Corybas dowlingii (New South Wales, Australia)
- Corybas fimbriatus - Fringed Helmet Orchid (Australia)
- Corybas fordhamii (Australia)
- Corybas hispidus
- Corybas incurvis
- Corybas iridescens (New Zealand)
- Corybas kaimai (New Zealand)
- Corybas limpidus - Crystal Helmet Orchid
- Corybas longipedunculatus (New Guinea)
- Corybas macranthus - Spider Orchid (New Zealand)
- Corybas mankiensis (New Guinea)
- Corybas oblongus (New Zealand)
- Corybas orbiculatus (New Zealand) a.k.a. C. "short tepals"
- Corybas papa (New Zealand) a.k.a. C. "Mt Messenger"
- Corybas pictus
- Corybas recurvus
- Corybas rivularis (New Zealand)
- Corybas rotundifolius (New Zealand) was included in C. unguiculatus and later tagged C. aff. unguiculatus
- Corybas trilobus - Spider Orchid (New Zealand) number of Corybas with 3-lobbed leaves show differences in flowering time, size, and sometimes structure. Variants in the Corybas tribobus complex include the tiny unnamed july-flowering form C. "Trotters".
- Corybas unguiculatus - Small Helmet Orchid (Australia)
Corybas diemenicus in culture © Chug
Corybas fimbriatus small cluster © wiccked
General cultivation techniques
Specific guidelines
- Corybas acuminatus
In habitat this species is reported to like shady places in the bush, growing in moss and leaf debris.
- Corybas carsei
In the NZNOG Journal # 60, Peter de Lange wrote (18 June, of Corybas carsei), "We achieved a massive flowering last year but absolutely no seed set, in the insect-proof cages or controls. It would appear that the orchid can be made to flower in the second season following a ‘wet burn’ - although the impact of a wet and frost-free winter makes conclusive statements on this fire research project, at this early stage, difficult. After all the orchid may simply have flowered because the plants were not burned off by frost and the wetter than usual conditions of last winter prevented serious cricket browse."
- Corybas hispidus
Reported to like damp soil year-round.
- Corybas diemenicus
Soil should be kept damp year-round.
- Corybas fimbriatus
Use a sandy mix that drains very easlky. They require good air circulation in a protected position of about 50% sun during the active growing period after flowering. In cultivation, the flowers may abort before fully opening if there is insufficient humidity in the growing environment. Don't disturb the tubers untill they've gone dormant.
- Corybas limpidus
The Crystal Helmet Orchid is endemic to Western Australia and has been recorded from six populations along 350 km of the south coast between Walpole and Hopetoun. The species occurs in coastal dune systems, mainly under coastal Woolly Bush, in deep litter in the lee of the first coastal sand dune.
- Corybas macranthus
This fine orchid occurs plentifully, but always in one kind of situation, where water is oozing out of a bed of gravel on a slope. It likes a burn-brae, and is there only found on the shady side. It is particularly luxuriant and large in Southland; its leaves as large as a florin, bright green and succulent. It folds its large apron (labellum) so closely around the short style and the pollen masses that it must be a very small insect indeed that is able to find its way to them. It not only seems independent of the services of insects, but takes good care that they do not get at its treasures. 1)
- Corybas matthewsii
This is a very tiny plant, ½ – ⅔ in high, rather difficult to find in the wild. It occurs in wet peat associated with Lycopodium Drummondii, Drosera spathulata, Utricularia delicatula, &c. It was discovered by Mr. H. B. Matthews and H. Carse in a morass adjoining Lake Tangonge.
- Corybas oblongus
Prefers damp, shady areas in the wild.
- Corybas pictus
This species grows in the intermediate mountain-areas in Indonesia and due to the higher temperature requirements you shouldn't attempt to grow it side by side with its Australian siblings. It won't survive a dry dormancy, keep the pots damp when the buds are resting. Because their habitat doesn't have distinct seasonal changes they can grow year round with only a very short dormancy and regular flowering. If you can provide them with a high humidity (under perforated plastic or windowsill-greenhouse), you can grow them on a warm windowsill. Reproduction is quite fast.
- Corybas trilobus
The top petal forms a rounded "hat" on the flower which makes this species easy to identify. These plants are reported to form very large clumps and are found in a variety of places: mmixed forests, grassland and cattle farms. Apparently they are not that picky but this has not been confirmed in culture.
Corybas recurvus growing in Sphagnum moss
In-vitro culture
Pollinators
Corybas macranthus
"I closely examined 143 flowers (33) and found that in 47 the pollinia were still in the anthers, from 90 they had been removed, while in 6, dead or living flies were found glued to the stigma. Of the whole number examined only a small proportion ultimately produced capsules. In addition to the insects which were caught by the viscid stigmas and which were unable to get away again, many flowers were found to contain only wings and legs of flies. This was due to the presence of small spiders which seemed to lie in wait for the flies which were entering the flowers, and in many cases captured them while inside. Indeed I think that all the insects which were found glued to the stigmas got caught there in their endeavours to escape from the spiders. In every case in which an insect was found by me withdrawing from a flower, the pollinia were removed also, securely attached to the front of the head. I regret that I did not preserve these flies, as I could not get them identified at the time." 2)
Corybas oblongus
Pollinated by Exechia Thomsoni, a fungus-gnat
Hybridisation notes
References
Flowering Calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corybas cheesemanii | New Zealand | ||||||||||||
| Corybas aconitiflorus | Brisbane, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Corybas barbarae | Brisbane, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Corybas fimbriatus | Brisbane, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Corybas fordhamii | Brisbane, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Corybas hispidus | Brisbane, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Corybas montanus | Brisbane, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Corybas undulatus | Brisbane, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Corybas unguiculatus | Brisbane, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Corybas despectans | Brisbane, Australia |
Detailed data: Aggregated observation dates from the GBIF.org network.
A colored month means an observation in habitat or collection date of a herbarium specimen with flower or inflorescence. The number refers to the year of last observation or collection.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corybas fimbriatus | 1950 | Australia | |||||||||||
| Corybas pruinosus | 1955 | Australia | |||||||||||
| Corybas sp. | 1979 | Papua New Guinea | |||||||||||
| Corybas trilobus | 1945 | 1990 | New Zealand | ||||||||||
| Corybas undulatus | 1955 | 1946 | Australia | ||||||||||
| Corybas unguiculatus | 1950 | Australia |