Science

Teacher’s Search Uncovers 50‑Plus Bonville Leafless Orchids in New Rainforest Patch

By TOI Science Desk

A rare, leafless orchid that has survived largely unseen beneath Australia’s subtropical rainforests has been found in a new location. The critically endangered Bonville leafless orchid, which relies on an underground fungus for nutrition and blooms only briefly each year, was previously known from a single site on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. In October 2026, teacher and botany enthusiast Nick Lambert explored a rainforest near Coffs Harbour, following a visit to the original habitat on 22 October with botanist Dr Lachlan Copeland. Lambert’s search led him to an undocumented cluster near Boambee, about five kilometres from the original site. Copeland later inspected the area and confirmed the discovery. The orchid was named Danhatchia copelandii in honour of Copeland.

The find is significant because, despite visits by some 30 botanists, no additional populations had been located before. The Bonville leafless orchid is small, about 10 cm tall, with reddish hairy stems and tiny flowers that appear above the rainforest floor. It has no leaves and depends entirely on a fungal partner for nutrition. The plant is mostly hidden underground, emerging only for a week or two during its brief blooming period, making it difficult to spot.

At the original site, Copeland had recorded only six to seven plants in recent years, with seasonal surveys ranging from four to 43. This spring he found 17 plants. The discovery of roughly 50 more near Boambee raises the total known population to more than 60. Brett Summerell, chief scientist at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, said that larger populations help address issues of low genetic diversity and provide a safeguard against disasters that could affect a single habitat.

Because the orchid cannot be cultivated outside its natural environment, protecting its habitat is essential. The Boambee population is likely to fall within the proposed Great Koala National Park, offering additional protection. A specimen will be deposited at the National Herbarium of NSW at Mount Annan for formal identification.

Lambert’s discovery highlights how curiosity and fieldwork can contribute to conservation, revealing a second refuge for a species found nowhere else on Earth and improving its chances of survival.