The Ozzie Orchid Empress

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The Ozzie Orchid Empress is a Rare Orchid & Plant collector and enthusiast first and foremost, who's passion for collecting plants has led to becoming a Registered Business.

Chiloglottis truncata D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. (1987)Native range: Eastern Australia (Queensland).Introduced into: N/A.Syno...
24/08/2026

Chiloglottis truncata D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. (1987)

Native range:
Eastern Australia (Queensland).

Introduced into: N/A.

Synonyms:
1.Myrmechila truncata (D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. (2005)

Common names:
1.The Truncate Chiloglottis
2.Small Ant Orchid

Provenance of these particular plants grown:
Goombungee, QLD

Named after the Latin word truncatus (meaning "cut off"), this eastern Australian native gets its namesake from its abruptly ending lip apex.
It's solitary green flower features a prominent, shiny black, insect-like callus occupying most of the labellum.
This specialized structure perfectly mimics a wingless female insect to sexually deceive its target pollinators into visiting the flower.

It never ceases to amaze me how these tiny little plants evolve in such a way that they become masters of camouflage and disguise in order to survive and multiply.

This resembles with insane accuracy the manner in which the majority of neurodivergent individuals; especially those that were much later diagnosed in life or still unaware, go through life by masking and mimicking in order to blend in and survive.

This is yet another species that I've included in the collection this past year and as such this is my first year growing it and flowering it.

This year I grew them in the same potting mix as i grow my Diuris, which is a mix of native potting mix, perlite, sand, and some additional mini orchid bark. However, I might switch to another potting media mixture after dormancy to see which works best.

Like all Australian Native terrestrial orchids I've been growing so far in Victoria, these are growing outdoors all year round, and are kept dry and under cover during their dormancy.

Lepanthes felis cv. 'Columbia Big'.I deflasked these in late August 2025.The first two seedlings started to flower aroun...
05/08/2026

Lepanthes felis cv. 'Columbia Big'.

I deflasked these in late August 2025.

The first two seedlings started to flower around May but i broke off the first flower bud by watering and another by fiddling too much with it without having a chance to see how either of the two looked like...till the second flower bud.

I'm very pleased with this one and waiting for the second seedling's bud to open up.

Update:Things have gotten busy around here as I have been spending a lot of time on new products and projects, and build...
29/07/2026

Update:

Things have gotten busy around here as I have been spending a lot of time on new products and projects, and building more and better set ups to facilitate all the new plants that will be offered for auction for the remainder of the current financial year.

I apologise for not posting as often as before but I'm very much focused on everything that needs to be done around the property.

This year there will be some rare and collectable plants offered through my ebay account that belong in the following plant families:

-Orchidaceae
-Apocynaceae
-Didiereaceae
-Anacampserotaceae
-Asclepiadoideae
-Araceae
-Dioscoreaceae

I hope that everyone is well and staying warm!
I can't wait till all the hard work is done so i can get back to sharing all the new and exciting things to follow in the next couple of months!

Also, sharing a picture of my Habenaria rhodocheila x Habenaria carnea P.I in bloom.

Aerangis luteoalba var. rhodosticta (Kraenzl.) J. Stewart (1979)Native range:West Central & East Tropical Africa to Sout...
22/07/2026

Aerangis luteoalba var. rhodosticta (Kraenzl.) J. Stewart (1979)

Native range:
West Central & East Tropical Africa to South Ethiopia.
( Cabinda, Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda )

Synonyms:
1. Aerangis rhodosticta (Kraenzl.) Schltr.
2. Angorkis rhodosticta (Kraenzl.) Kuntze
3. Angraecum rhodostictum Kraenzl.
4. Aerangis albidorubra (De Wild.) Schltr.
5. Angraecum albidorubrum De Wild.
6. Angraecum mirabile C. H. Curtis

Common Names:
1. The Beige Aerangis with Red Spots

Aerangis luteoalba var. rhodosticta originates in the humid riverine forests, tea plantations, and coffee farms stretching across tropical Africa.
In the wild, it typically clings to slender twigs and branches overhanging rivers, where it thrives in zones with high air movement. T
he botanical name rhodosticta translates to "red-spotted", which directly references the orchid's signature bright orange-red center.
Cultivators highly prize this miniature epiphyte for the striking contrast between its flat, crystalline-white petals and its bold, fiery central eye.
Additionally, the blossoms produce a faint, sweet scent that becomes particularly noticeable at dusk and during the night to attract nocturnal pollinators.

This orchid grows best when mounted on cork bark or tree fern plaques, as this setup allows its sensitive roots to dry out rapidly after watering.
It prefers bright, dappled shade that successfully mimics the filtered light found under a dense forest canopy.
To keep the plant healthy, you should provide frequent watering or heavy misting while ensuring the roots dry out completely between sessions.
During the winter months, the orchid requires a slight reduction in water to mimic its natural habitat's dry season.
Finally, continuous and gentle air movement is absolutely critical to prevent stagnant moisture from rotting the delicate crown.

I grow this species indoors during our coldest winter periods in Victoria.

The picture was taken when the plant came into my collection but has since then been transferred onto a new, more suitable mount, adjusting it's cultivation to my environmental conditions.

19/06/2026

My first Australian Native terrestrial Orchid seeds have gone to the lab for sowing.

Species that were sent off for sowing:

1.Caladenia latifolia
2.Caladenia tentaculata
3.Pterostylis collina
4.Pterostylis robusta (prov. Adelaide Hills)
5.Pterostylis robusta (prov. Belair NP)
6.Diuris amplissima
7.Diuris sulphurea
8.Microtis aemula
9.Pterostylis baptistii
10.Pterostylis nutans
11.Thelymitra rubra

I'm hopeful for a good outcome.

Bulbophyllum medusae (Lindl.) Rchb. f. (1861)Native range:South - Central Vietnam, Peninsula Thailand to West Malesia.(B...
24/05/2026

Bulbophyllum medusae (Lindl.) Rchb. f. (1861)

Native range:
South - Central Vietnam, Peninsula Thailand to West Malesia.
(Borneo, Malaya, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam)

Introduced into:
Solomon Islands.

Synonyms:
1.Cirrhopetalum medusae Lindl. (1842)
2.Phyllorkis medusae (Lindl.) Kuntze (1891)
3.Cirrhopetalum medusae var. album Rolfe (1923)

Common names:
1.Medusa's Bulbophyllum
2.Medusa's head Orchid
3.Medusa's Head Fly Orchid
4.Octopus orchid/plant

Named after the mythical Gorgon from Greek mythology, this Southeastern Asian native gets its namesake from its dense umbel-like flowers. Its elongated, thread-like lateral sepals cascade outward in all directions, resembling Medusa’s mythical hair of snakes.

I bought this particular plant as a division/cutting with 4 pseudobulbs a little over 2 years ago and have since grown it, like the majority of my Bulbophyllum orchids, in a pot with live sphagnum moss.

My Bulbos all grow indoors all year round for the moment.

Corybas hispidus D. L. Jones (1973)Native range:South-East Queensland to East Victoria, Australia.(New South Wales, Quee...
23/05/2026

Corybas hispidus D. L. Jones (1973)

Native range:
South-East Queensland to East Victoria, Australia.
(New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria)

Synonyms:
1.Corysanthes hispida (D.L.Jones) D. L. Jones & M. A. Clem. (2002)

Common names:
1.The Bristly Helmet Orchid.
2.The Shaggy Corybas.

The provenance of this plant is Unknown.

In Greek mythology, a group of mythical figures were known as the Corybantes (Korybantes - plural).
A single one of these mythical figures would be called Corybas (Korybas - singular).

The Corybantes were armed, armoured, and crested helmet wearing dancers, who acted as the priests and guardians of the Phrygian goddess Cybele (the Earth Mother).

In some myths, the term is also traced back to an individual named Corybas, a mythical son of Cybele who gave his name to the entire group.

The Corybantes were famous for performing wild, loud, and frenzied ritual dances.
They leaped rhythmically while violently clashing their spears, swords, and shields together.

According to Greek mythology, they used this noisy dance for a critical purpose;
When the infant gods Zeus (and later Dionysos) were babies, they had to be hidden from hostile forces.
The Corybantes surrounded the infant gods and engaged in their loud, clanging sword-dances specifically to drown out the sound of the babies crying, keeping them safe from discovery.

Because of their wild movements, the word corybantic entered the English language to describe anything that is frenzied, agitated, or wildly unrestrained.

When 19th century botanist Richard Salisbury looked at a helmet orchid, he thought the curved, hood-like petal perfectly mirrored the crested, protective helmets worn by these mythical Greek dancers.

The word hispidus literally translates to "bristly," "shaggy," "hairy," or "rough", and stems from the Latin verb hispere, which means "to be bristly."

The first year I got these tubers I only got leaves before they were chewed by snails.
This time around I'm happy to see at least one of them flower!

I grow these in my a mix of native potting mix, perlite, mini orchid bark, and horticultural sand, but i may change up the mix a bit for next year to see if there's any improvement in tuber multiplication.

I have chosen to opt out of using any leaf mulch, and used a plastic cup to cover the top of the pot and it has worked extremely well in keeping the flower safe and humidity levels up with our Victorian weather conditions flatulating from high to low.

When I get around to unpotting the tubers for dormancy, I'll check if this way of cultivating was beneficial in harvesting more tubers or not, but until then I'm pretty happy to flower this species on my second year!

Some of the plants going up on ebay tonigh for the upcoming week.ID's on pics.
23/05/2026

Some of the plants going up on ebay tonigh for the upcoming week.
ID's on pics.

Angraecum sesquipedale Thouars (1809)Native range:East & South East Madagascar.Synonyms:1.Aeranthes sesquipedalis (Thoua...
23/05/2026

Angraecum sesquipedale Thouars (1809)

Native range:
East & South East Madagascar.

Synonyms:
1.Aeranthes sesquipedalis (Thouars) Lindl. (1824)
2.Angorkis sesquepedalis (Thouars) Kuntze (1891)
3.Macroplectrum sesquipedale (Thouars) Pfitzer (1889)
4.Mystacidium sesquipedale (Thouars) Rolfe (1904)

Common Names:
1.Darwin's orchid
2.Christmas orchid
3.Star of Bethlehem orchid
4.Comet orchid

Accepted varieties:
1.Angraecum sesquipedale var. angustifolium
2.Angraecum sesquipedale var. sesquipedale

In its native habitat, this orchid grows high up on tree trunks along the hot, humid coastal lowlands, where it basks in bright, filtered tropical sunlight and enjoys constant ocean breezes.

This species was made famous by Charles Darwin, when he was sent a specimen of this orchid in 1862.
It's bizarre anatomy sparked a brilliant evolutionary insight!
He noticed a spectacularly long, green nectar tube dangling from the back of the flower, with sweet nectar pooled only at the very bottom.
Darwin deduced that the orchid could only reproduce if an insect rubbed against its pollen while reaching for that reward.
He boldly predicted that Madagascar must harbour an undiscovered giant hawk moth with a tongue long enough to reach the bottom of the tube.
His contemporary peers laughed at and doubted the idea of such a creature, but in 1903 ( 21 years after Darwin's death ) the giant hawk moth ( Identified as Xanthopan morganii praedicta ) was finally discovered in Madagascar, proving Darwin's theory to be entirely correct and providing one of the most famous confirmations of coevolution and natural selection in history!

A picture of the hawk moth that proved Darwin's theory to be correct is found here: https://www.orchidspecies.com/orphotdir/xanthodom.jpg

A historic footage capturing the first field documentation of Darwin's hawk moth ( Xanthopan morganii praedicta ) in the wild was filmed by entomologist and naturalist Phil DeVries in 1992.
I first watched it last year at one of our Club meetings at the Dandenong and District Orchid Club when John Varigos shared it with us and found it fascinating!

For those interested to watch it a link to that video is found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMVN1EWxfAU&t=3s

Finally, since this orchid thrives in consistently warm environments, with abundant rainfall year round, I tend to bring the plant indoors after the Easter break as that is when temperatures usually seem to drop here in Vic.

I currently grow this in big chunks of orchid bark, and now that it's indoors, it grows in the bathroom where there's higher humidity, and I give it a good spray at least once daily, in addition to when I water it, which is whenever the pot totally dries out.

P.S. My fur baby ( Romeo ) wanted to be included in the pic, to show everyone how he guards mama's plants from any intruders! 😆😁🥰

Paphiopedilum villosum (Lindl.) Stein (1892)Native range:The native range is Assam to South China and Indo-China.(Assam,...
22/05/2026

Paphiopedilum villosum (Lindl.) Stein (1892)

Native range:
The native range is Assam to South China and Indo-China.
(Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam)

Introduced to:
East Himalaya

Synonyms:
1.Cordula villosa (Lindl.) Rolfe (1912)
2.Cypripedium villosum Lindl. (1854)

Common Names:
1.Villose Paphiopedilum
2.Hirsute Paphiopedilum
3.Lady Slipper or Slipper Orchid ( Used for all the Paphiopedilum genus not just this species)
4. Zi Mao Dou Lan ( In China )
5. Rongthao nari inthanon, Ueang khai kai, Ueang khang kop, or Ueang maeng phu. ( In Thailand )

A cool to intermediate grower native to the cool, highland cloud forests of Southeast Asia, including India, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam

Paphiopedilum villosum was officially added to the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable in 2015.

The population of this epiphytic orchid is continuously declining due to several major threats; over-collection, and habitat degradation.

All my Paphiopedilum grow indoors all year round in Vic, and my preferred potting mix is orchid bark, perlite, and horticultural charcoal.

The pot is top dressed with a layer of fresh sphagnum moss for some extra moisture on the surface of the potting mix

I repot all my Paphiopedilums with fresh potting mix yearly.

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Telephone

+61457128853

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