Acianthus caudatus

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Mayfly orchid
Acianthus caudatus.jpg
Acianthus caudatus growing in the Budy Bim National Park
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Subtribe: Acianthinae
Genus: Acianthus
Species:
A. caudatus
Binomial name
Acianthus caudatus
Synonyms [1]
  • Acianthus caudatus var. ater Lindl.
  • Acianthus caudatusR.Br. var. caudatus
  • Acianthus caudatus var. pallidus Rupp
  • Epipactis caudata(R.Br.) Poir.
  • Nemacianthus caudatus(R.Br.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.

Acianthus caudatus, commonly known as mayfly orchid, [2] 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.

Contents

Description

Acianthus caudatus is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, sympodial herb with a single thin, egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaf which is dark green on the upper surface and reddish-purple on its lower surface. The leaf is 8–30 mm (0.3–1 in) long, 6–20 mm (0.2–0.8 in) wide and has wavy or minutely toothed edges. There are up to nine dark purplish flowers on a raceme 50–250 mm (2–10 in) high, each flower 30–40 mm (1–2 in) long. The dorsal sepal is erect, expanded near its base, 15–25 mm (0.6–1 in) long and tapers to a fine point. The lateral sepals are a similar shape but shorter, 15–25 mm (0.6–1 in) long and spread apart from each other. The petals are narrow lance-shaped, 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long, curved and spread apart from each other. The labellum is egg-shaped to wedge-shaped, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide with the tip turned downwards. Flowering occurs from August to October. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Acianthus caudatus was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen . [5] [6] The specific epithet (caudatus) is derived from the Latin word cauda meaning "tail". [7]

Distribution and habitat

Mayfly orchid grows among low shrubs in open forest south of the Manning River in New South Wales, through Victoria to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It is also found in Tasmania. [3] [4] [8] [9]

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>Pterostylis curta</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis curta, commonly known as the blunt greenhood, is a species of orchid found in south-eastern Australia, Lord Howe Island and New Caledonia. It has a rosette of leaves at its base and a single white and green, forward leaning flower with a brown tip and a twisted labellum.

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

Acianthus fornicatus, commonly known as pixie cap, is a flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It is a terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and up to ten translucent pinkish-red flowers and which is widespread and common in coastal and near-coastal areas.

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

Caladenia gracilis, commonly known as musky caps or musky caladenia, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern and south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It is a ground orchid with a single leaf and up to six flowers which are dark-coloured on the back and white on the front, sometimes tinged with pink and with a strong musky or soapy odour. The species is also known as Caladenia moschata in Victoria.

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

Prasophyllum alpinum, commonly known as the alpine leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It was formerly described as occurring in mainland Australia but has smaller flowers than the species occurring there. It has a single, tube-shaped leaf and up to fourteen green to greenish-brown flowers and grows in subalpine areas.

<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>Caladenia alata</i> Species of orchid

Caladenia alata, commonly known as the fairy orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is found in south-eastern Australia and New Zealand. It is a ground orchid with small, usually short-lived flowers, which have relatively stiffly held petals and sepals and reddish-purple bars on the labellum.

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

Caladenia congesta, commonly known as black-tongue caladenia, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single, sparsely hairy leaf, and up to three bright pink flowers with the central part of the labellum completely covered with black calli. It is a widespread species but not common in any part of its range.

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

Caladenia filamentosa, commonly known as daddy-long-legs, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and up to four, usually dark red flowers with long, drooping lateral sepals and petals.

Caladenia patersonii is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is native to Victoria and Tasmania. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and one or two creamy-white, yellowish or pink flowers.

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

Caladenia minorata, commonly known as the small waxlip orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single very hairy leaf and one or two deep violet-blue flowers. It has been known as Glossodia minor since its description by the prolific Scottish botanist Robert Brown in 1810, but recent discoveries suggest its inclusion in the genus Caladenia. It is similar to Caladenia major but is smaller in all its parts.

<i>Pterostylis obtusa</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis obtusa, commonly known as the blunt-tongue greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It is distinguished from similar greenhood orchids by its thick, flat, platform-like sinus and blunt labellum which is only just visible above the sinus.

<i>Pterostylis concinna</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis concinna, commonly known as the trim greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia and which usually grows in colonies. It has a rosette of leaves at the base and a single dark green, white and orange-red flower.

<i>Thelymitra nuda</i> Species of orchid

Thelymitra nuda, commonly known as the plain sun orchid is a species of orchid that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single fleshy, channelled leaf and up to twelve dark blue to purplish, sometimes white or pinkish flowers with white tufts on top of the anther. It grows in a range of habitats and sometimes forms large colonies.

Prasophyllum australe, commonly known as the southern leek orchid or austral leek orchid, is a species of orchid and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single tubular, green leaf and up to fifty scented, greenish-brown flowers with red stripes.

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

Prasophyllum flavum, commonly known as the yellow leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single tubular, green leaf with only a short free section and up to fifty scented, yellowish-green flowers.

Prasophyllum macrostachyum, commonly known as the laughing leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single smooth, tube-shaped leaf and up to thirty yellowish-green and purple flowers. It is one of the few Western Australian leek orchids which is not stimulated by summer fires and also has an unusually long flowering period.

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

Prasophyllum patens, commonly known as the broad-lipped leek orchid or sandstone leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the Sydney region of New South Wales. It has a single tubular green leaf and up to thirty green to greenish-brown, lemon-scented flowers with a white labellum.

Corunastylis nigricans, commonly known as the Kangaroo Island midge orchid is a small terrestrial orchid endemic to South Australia. It has a single thin leaf and up to twenty five purplish brown flowers with a shiny, hairless, dark purplish labellum. It is sometimes confused with Genoplesium nigricans which has differently coloured flowers and a much wider distribution. It is regarded as a synonym of G. nigricans by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.

<i>Cryptostylis ovata</i> Species of orchid

Cryptostylis ovata, commonly known as the slipper orchid or western tongue orchid, is an orchid endemic to Western Australia. It is a common, summer flowering species with dark green leaves with a white central vein and up to fifteen pale greenish flowers with a brownish red labellum with a network of darker veins.

References

  1. 1 2 "Acianthus caudatus". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  2. 1 2 Copeland, Lachlan M.; Backhouse, Gary N. (2022). Guide to Native Orchids of NSW and ACT. Collingwood: CSIRO Publishing. pp. 13–14. ISBN   9781486313686.
  3. 1 2 Jones, David L. "Acianthus caudatus". Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney:plantnet. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 Jeanes, Jeff. "Acianthus caudatus". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  5. "Acianthus caudatus". APNI. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  6. Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae. London. p. 321. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 779.
  8. "Acianthus caudatus". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  9. Jordan, Greg. "Acianthus". University of Tasmania. Retrieved 5 December 2017.