Acianthus borealis

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Northern mosquito orchid
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Acianthus
Species:
A. borealis
Binomial name
Acianthus borealis
Synonyms [1]

Acianthus fornicatus R.Br.

Acianthus borealis, commonly known as northern mosquito orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Queensland in Australia. It is a glabrous, terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and between two and twenty transparent pinkish flowers with reddish markings and is widely distributed on the eastern tablelands.

Contents

Description

Acianthus borealis is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, sympodial herb with a single heart-shaped, glabrous, dark green leaf which is reddish-purple on its lower surface and often has a wavy margin. It forms spreading colonies and each plant has two fleshy tubers. The leaf is 15–50 mm (0.6–2 in) long, 15–35 mm (0.6–1 in) wide, with its edges sometimes slightly wavy. [2] [3] [4]

There are between two and twenty flowers, crowded on a thin raceme up to 25 cm (10 in) tall, each flower 8.5–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, 9–10 mm (0.35–0.39 in) long, 3.5–4.5 mm (0.14–0.18 in) wide, forms a hood over the labellum and has three prominent, red veins. The central vein projects forward to a point 2–3.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long at the front of the flower. The lateral sepals are 8–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long, about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, project forwards below the labellum, sometimes crossed, sometimes parallel. The petals are about 2.5–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long, about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, lance-shaped and pointed. The labellum is reddish with a serrated, purplish edge, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, 2.5–3 mm (0.098–0.12 in) wide and narrow oblong in shape. The callus is green, covers most of the labellum and has many pimply papillae near its end. The column is 3 mm (0.1 in) long and widest at its base. Flowering occurs between March and May and the capsule that follows is 11–13 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long, 2.5 mm (0.1 in) wide, oval shaped and has red lines on its ribs. [2] [4]

This species is distinguished from the similar Acianthus fornicatus by smaller flowers, narrower dorsal sepal, narrower petals and much more northerly distribution. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Acianthus borealis was first formally described by David Jones in 1991 and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research from specimens found near Herberton on the Atherton Tableland. [5] [2] The specific epithet (borealis) is from the Latin borealis (northern). This species has the most northerly distribution in the Acianthus fornicatus alliance in Australia. [2] In a 1995 paper published in the journal Allertonia, Paul Kores claimed that A. borealis and 3 other species are not distinct from A. fornicatus and should be regarded as a synonyms. [6] That position has been adopted by Plants of the World Online. [7]

Distribution and habitat

This orchid grows on sheltered ridges and slopes in forest and woodland at altitudes between 400 and 800 m (1,000 and 3,000 ft), often in sandy soil near boulders where it forms dense, clonal colonies. [2] It is found on tablelands from the Windsor Tableland in the north-east to the Blackdown Tableland in the central east. [2] [3] [8]

Ecology

The leaf of this orchid appears near the end of the wet season. The small purplish flowers last from four days to a week, resemble mosquitoes and are insect-pollinated. The aerial parts of the plants die down as warm weather returns. [4]

Conservation

This orchid is widespread and locally common with its populations often occurring in national parks. [2] [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Acianthus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Acianthus, commonly known as mosquito orchids, is a genus of about twelve species of plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Mosquito orchids are terrestrial herbs with a single, heart-shaped, usually ground-hugging leaf and one to many small, green, pinkish or purplish flowers on a fleshy stalk. They are found in New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Acianthus fornicatus</i> Species of flowering plant

Acianthus fornicatus, commonly known as bristly mosquito orchid or pixie caps, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and up to ten translucent pinkish-red flowers, and is widespread and common in coastal and near-coastal areas.

<i>Acianthus apprimus</i> Species of flowering plant

Acianthus apprimus, commonly known as early mosquito orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales in Australia. It is a terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and between two and nine translucent pinkish flowers with reddish markings and is found in disjunct populations around the state.

<i>Acianthus collinus</i> Species of flowering plant

Acianthus collinus, commonly known as hooded mosquito orchid or inland mosquito orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and between two and nine translucent pinkish flowers with reddish markings and is found growing in colonies on sheltered slopes in open forest in on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range.

<i>Acianthus exiguus</i> Species of flowering plant

Acianthus exiguus, commonly known as tiny mosquito orchid, is a flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales in Australia. It is a terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and up to five translucent greenish-white flowers with pinkish markings and is found growing in forests on the north coast of the state.

<i>Acianthus exsertus</i> Species of flowering plant

Acianthus exsertus, commonly known as gnat orchid or large mosquito orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and up to 25 small, fine, dark brown flowers with pinkish and purplish markings and is found growing in sheltered places in forests in Queensland, New South Wales the ACT and Victoria.

<i>Acianthus pusillus</i> Species of flowering plant

Acianthus pusillus, commonly known as small mosquito orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and up to 18 small, translucent green or pinkish flowers with reddish marking and a green to reddish-purple labellum. It is widely distributed, growing in moist places from central-eastern Queensland, south through New South Wales and Victoria to South Australia and Tasmania.

<i>Caladenia cucullata</i> Species of orchid

Caladenia cucullata, commonly known as the hooded caladenia, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single, sparsely hairy leaf, and up to seven white flowers with a purplish labellum.

Caladenia dorrigoensis is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It has a single leaf and a single white flower with purple marks on its labellum.

<i>Prasophyllum caudiculum</i> Species of orchid

Prasophyllum caudiculum, commonly known as the Guyra leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small area of northern New South Wales. It has a single tubular, bright green leaf and up to thirty five greenish to reddish-brown flowers crowded along an erect flowering stem. It grows in grassy places near Guyra.

<i>Prasophyllum dossenum</i> Species of orchid

Prasophyllum dossenum is a species of orchid endemic to a small area of northern New South Wales. It has a single tubular, dark green leaf and up to thirty scented pinkish-white and greenish-brown flowers crowded along an erect flowering stem. It is a rare orchid which grows in grassy places on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales.

<i>Acianthus caudatus</i> Species of flowering plant

Acianthus caudatus, commonly known as mayfly orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a terrestrial herb with a single egg-shaped or heart-shaped leaf and up to nine dark purplish flowers with thin, spreading sepals and petals, often with a musty odour.

Genoplesium alticola, commonly known as the tableland midge orchid, is a small terrestrial orchid endemic to Queensland. It has a single thin leaf fused to the flowering stem and up to twenty five small, hairy, dark purplish-red and green flowers. It grows in two small areas of the state at altitudes between 600 and 750 m.

Genoplesium pedersonii, commonly known as Pederson's midge orchid, is a species of small terrestrial orchid endemic to the Blackdown Tableland in Queensland. It has a single thin leaf fused to the flowering stem and up to thirty small, greenish red to reddish, self-pollinating flowers with a dark purplish red labellum. The species is treated as Corunastylis pedersonii in Queensland.

Genoplesium validum, commonly known as the Blackdown midge orchid, is a species of small terrestrial orchid that is endemic to the Blackdown Tableland National Park in Queensland. It has a single thin leaf fused to the flowering stem and up to thirty five greenish-brown flowers with reddish stripes and a hairy labellum. This species is treated as Corunastylis valida in Queensland.

Arthrochilus oreophilus, commonly known as montane elbow orchid, is a flowering plant in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) and is endemic to higher places in far north Queensland. It has a rosette of leaves at its base and up to fifteen green, insect-like flowers with dark reddish brown glands on its labellum.

<i>Acianthus cuneatus</i> Species of flowering plant

Acianthus cuneatus, commonly known as New England mosquito orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. It is a terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and up to seven translucent greenish flowers with purplish stripes and is found growing in sheltered slopes in open forest.

Acianthus ledwardii was a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and was endemic to Queensland in Australia but is now presumed extinct. It was a terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and between 2 and 6 transparent, reddish brown flowers.

<i>Acianthus saxatilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Acianthus saxatilis is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a terrestrial herb with a single, relatively large, heart-shaped leaf and usually up to 5 translucent greenish-brown to greenish-yellow flowers.

Pterostylis borealis is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to north Queensland. It is a glabrous, tuberous, terrestrial herb with spreading rosette leaves and smooth, green, white and light brown flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Acianthus borealis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jones, David L. (1991). "New taxa of Australian Orchidaceae". Australian Orchid Research. 2: 5–6.
  3. 1 2 Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 161. ISBN   1-877069-12-4.
  4. 1 2 3 4 D.L.Jones; T.Hopley; S.M.Duffy (2010). "Factsheet - Acianthus borealis". Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids . Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government . Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  5. "Acianthus borealis". APNI. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  6. Kores, Paul J. (1995). "A systematic study of the genus "Acianthus" (Orchidaceae: Diuridae)". Allertonia. 7 (3): 202.
  7. "Acianthus borealis". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  8. "Acianthus borealis". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 14 June 2016.