He just might stumble across the orchid that was recently named after him, corunastylis stephensonii.

Mr Stephenson has had and will continue to have a special relationship with this orchid.

“I tell people the orchid is small and colourful – like me,” he said.

Mr Stephenson did not discover the orchid but found it in areas where it was not known to grow.

He found it growing on land around Vincentia Public School, Flat Rock Creek and Heritage Estate.

The naming of the orchid means it can now be protected.

Mr Stephenson said until a species had an official name it could not be mentioned for formal protection. 

Internationally renowned botanist David Jones nominated the plant to be named after Mr Stephenson.

“He contacted me and asked me to read a manuscript,” Mr Stephenson said.

“This was the first time he had asked me to read a manuscript and I wondered what was going on, until I read it.

“The person in question has to give their permission and this was David’s way of asking for my permission.

“This is a great honour,” Mr Stephenson said.

Mr Jones wrote in a magazine article the reasons he thought Mr Stephenson deserved the honour.

“Mr Stephenson is a dedicated orchid enthusiast, author and passionate conservationist who spends many hours in the bush studying and photographing orchids,” Mr Jones wrote.

“Alan, an expert on the orchids in the Shoalhaven with numerous important records to his credit, is also a dedicated conservation officer for the Australasian Native Orchid Society and the Australian Orchid Society.

“In his role he has undertaken numerous conservation issues, often contentious, over many years.”

Mr Stephenson said it was uncommon for such honours to be bestowed on people.

His fieldwork had resulted in discovery of five orchids, previously not documented.

He once found a subterranean orchid above ground growing on a tree.

“The possibility of discovering another orchid is one of the things that gets me out of bed each day,” he said.

He said good luck, rather than good management, played a role in orchid discovery.