Elythranthera brunonis
purple enamel orchid
Overview
Elythranthera brunonis is a small terrestrial tuberous orchid reaching 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) tall, growing from an underground tuber. Each plant produces a single narrow, grass-like leaf 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) long, hairy and often reddish at the base. The slender stem carries one to three flowers, each 0.8-1.2 inches (2-3 cm) across, with glossy mauve to purple petals and sepals that have a lacquered, enamel-like sheen and darker spotting inside. Flowering occurs in spring. The plant is dormant through the dry summer, surviving as the tuber below ground, and reshoots after autumn rains. It depends on specific soil fungi for germination and growth, which makes it slow and unreliable to establish away from its native habitat. Growth above ground lasts only a few months each year. The flowers open fully on warm sunny days and close in dull weather.
Native Range
Native to south-western Western Australia. Grows in woodland, heath, and open forest in sandy and gravelly soils, often among leaf litter and low shrubs that give light shade.Suggested Uses
Grown by terrestrial-orchid specialists in pots of sandy, free-draining mix, and conserved in native bushland settings. Used in research and display collections of Western Australian orchids rather than general garden beds. Its fungal dependence and summer dormancy make it unsuited to mixed plantings.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'
Width/Spread2" - 4"
Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years
Bloom Information
Flowers in spring (September to November in its native range), after autumn and winter rains have triggered growth. Each flower lasts several days, and the short flowering period spans a few weeks. Flowers open fully in warm sunny conditions and close in cool or overcast weather.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
mauve to purpleFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 3-6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in dappled light to part shade in sharply drained sandy or gravelly soils with low fertility. Needs a dry dormant period over summer once the leaf dies back, with moisture returning in autumn. Depends on symbiotic soil fungi, which makes it slow to establish and rarely successful in standard garden soil. Tolerates the mild frosts of its native range. It is grown mainly by specialist native-orchid growers in containers of free-draining mix. Disturbance of the tuber during dormancy sets back growth.Pruning
No pruning is required, as the single leaf and flower stem die back naturally to the tuber after flowering. Spent flower stems can be removed once seed is not being collected. The tuber is left undisturbed below ground.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons