The race to save Australia's rare rosella spider orchid
Researchers and volunteers are working to save the critically endangered rosella spider orchid in Victoria, Australia. The project involves raising the plants from seed and reintroducing them into their natural habitat.
Why it matters
Conservation efforts for rare flora are essential for maintaining biodiversity and preventing the extinction of species unique to specific ecosystems.
The race to save Australia's rare rosella spider orchid By science reporter Jacinta Bowler ABC Science
Link copied Share Share article In a small green shed about an hour out of Melbourne, dozens of pot plants sit on a white plastic table, awaiting their turn to be measured.
A thick hairy leaf or two juts out from each pot, and occasionally, a thin stem carries a purple orchid flower with spindly petals pushing up towards the sky.
The cold morning dampens the orchid's scent, but as the day heats up, the shed starts to smell a little musky as the flowers do their best to attract a pollinator.
With freezing fingers, volunteers unceremoniously tip the content of pots out onto the table and rummage through the dirt — hunting for the large root-like tubers of one of Australia's rarest wild orchids.
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