Chiloglottis sphaerula

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Chiloglottis sphaerula
Chiloglottis sphaerula.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Chiloglottis
Species:
C. sphaerula
Binomial name
Chiloglottis sphaerula

Chiloglottis sphaerula is a species of orchid endemic to a small part of New South Wales. It has two dark green leaves and a single green to reddish pink flower with a shiny black insect-like callus covering two-thirds of the base of the labellum but with the tip of the labellum free of callus.

Contents

Description

Chiloglottis sphaerula is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with two egg-shaped leaves 45–55 mm (1.8–2.2 in) long and 15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) wide on a petiole 5–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long. A single green to reddish pink flower 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) long is borne on a flowering stem 80–120 mm (3–5 in) high. The dorsal sepal is spatula-shaped, to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 14–16 mm (0.55–0.63 in) long and 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide. The lateral sepals are linear, 14–17 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long, about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) wide, erect near their bases but turn downwards and away from each other. There is a glandular tip about 2 mm (0.08 in) long on the end of the dorsal sepal and 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long on the lateral sepals. The petals are narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 12–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long, about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide and turn downwards near the ovary. The labellum is wedge-shaped to trowel-shaped, 12–14 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and about 8 mm (0.3 in) wide. There is a shiny black, insect-like callus about 2 mm (0.08 in) long and 2.5 mm (0.1 in) wide, occupying two-thirds of the labellum base. The large callus is surrounded by many dark reddish, club-shaped calli up to 2 mm (0.08 in) long and by smaller calli near its base. The remaining one-third of the tip of the labellum is devoid of calli. The column is pale green with reddish flecks, 9.5–10.5 mm (0.37–0.41 in) long and about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide with narrow wings. Flowering occurs from December to February. [2]

Taxonomy

Chiloglottis sphaerula was first formally described in 2006 by David Jones from a specimen collected in the Barrington Tops National Park and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research. [3] The specific epithet (sphaerula) is a Latin word meaning "ball" [4] referring to the shape of the "head" of the insect-like callus. [2]

This species was formerly known as Chiloglottis sp. aff. sphyrnoides (Northern Tablelands). [2] [5]

Distribution and habitat

This orchid grows in tall, moist forest on the southern part of the Northern Tablelands and Barrington Tops National Park. [2] [5]

Related Research Articles

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

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<i>Chiloglottis anaticeps</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis anaticeps, commonly known as the duck's-head wasp orchid or bird orchid is a species of orchid endemic to the New England Tableland of New South Wales. It has two narrow leaves and a single greenish brown or reddish flower with a shiny, dark green callus occupying most of the top of the labellum. One end of the callus looks like a tiny duck's head.

Chiloglottis chlorantha, commonly known as the Wollongong bird orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small part of New South Wales. It has two broad leaves and a single green to yellowish green flower with about twelve reddish, yellowish or bright green glands on the labellum callus.

<i>Chiloglottis diphylla</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis diphylla, commonly known as the common wasp orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Australia. It has two broad leaves and a single narrow, greenish brown to reddish flower with a black, insect-like callus covering the upper surface of the labellum.

<i>Chiloglottis formicifera</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis formicifera, commonly known as the common ant orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has two broad leaves and a single narrow, greenish or reddish flower with a black, ant-like callus covering most of the upper surface of the labellum. There is a single record of this species from New Zealand.

<i>Chiloglottis jeanesii</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis jeanesii, commonly known as the mountain bird orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Victoria. It has two broad leaves and a single green to dark purplish brown flower with shiny black, column-like calli on the labellum.

Chiloglottis longiclavata, commonly known as the northern wasp orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Queensland. It has two leaves and a single narrow, pinkish green flower with a dark blackish red callus covering most of the upper surface of the labellum.

<i>Chiloglottis palachila</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis palachila, commonly known as the spade-lipped wasp orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to some of the higher places in northern New South Wales. It has two leaves and a single green to greenish pink flower with a black, ant-like callus on the base of the labellum. The tips of the lateral sepals have distinctive swollen, brown glandular tips.

Chiloglottis × pescottiana, commonly known as the bronze bird orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has two broad leaves and a single greenish bronze or purplish brown flower with a black, ant-like callus on the labellum. It is a natural hybrid formed from a cross between Chiloglottis valida and C. trapeziformis.

<i>Chiloglottis platyptera</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis platyptera, commonly known as the winged ant orchid or Barrington Tops ant orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the New England Tableland of New South Wales. It has two broad leaves and a single greenish brown flower with a callus of many glands covering most of the top of the labellum.

Chiloglottis pluricallata, commonly known as the clustered bird orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the New England Tableland and Barrington Tops in New South Wales. It has two broad leaves and a single reddish to purplish brown flower with a callus of about six pairs of reddish to blackish glands covering two-thirds of the top of the labellum.

<i>Chiloglottis seminuda</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis seminuda, commonly known as the turtle orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern New South Wales. It has two broad leaves and a single green or reddish pink flower with a shiny black insect-like callus covering two-thirds of the base of the labellum but with the tip of the labellum free of callus.

Chiloglottis sphyrnoides, commonly known as the forest wasp orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland. It has two dark green leaves and a single green or reddish pink flower with a shiny black, insect-like callus surrounded by red club-shaped calli on two-thirds of the base of the labellum.

<i>Chiloglottis sylvestris</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis sylvestris, commonly known as the small wasp orchid, is a small, delicate species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has two dark green leaves and a single greenish pink flower with a reddish black, insect-like callus surrounded by fine, radiating, red, club-shaped calli on two-thirds of the base of the labellum.

<i>Chiloglottis triceratops</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis triceratops, commonly known as the three-horned bird orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It has two broad leaves and a greenish brown to purplish brown flower with a few column-like calli near the mid-line of the labellum.

<i>Chiloglottis trilabra</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis trilabra, commonly known as the long-clubbed wasp orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has two dark green leaves and a single greenish brown or pinkish flower with a dark red to black, ant-like callus covering most of the upper surface of the labellum. It is similar to both C. seminuda and C. reflexa.

Chiloglottis trullata, commonly known as the triangular orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Queensland. It has two dark green leaves and a single small, green or pinkish flower with a shiny, dark reddish black, insect-like callus surrounded by reddish club-shaped calli covering most of the upper surface of the labellum.

<i>Chiloglottis truncata</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis truncata, commonly known as the small ant orchid, is a small species of orchid endemic to Queensland. It has two leaves and a single green flower with a shiny black, insect-like callus occupying most of the labellum.

<i>Chiloglottis turfosa</i> Species of orchid

Chiloglottis turfosa, commonly known as the bog bird orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to southern New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It has two dark green leaves and a single greenish to reddish brown flower with a shiny dark reddish callus of mostly thin, column-like glands on the labellum.

References

  1. "Chiloglottis sphaerula". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Jones, David L. (2006). "New taxa of Australian Orchidaceae". Australian Orchid Research. 5: 41–42.
  3. "Chiloglottis sphaerula". APNI. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  4. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 120.
  5. 1 2 Bishop, Tony (2000). Field guide to the orchids of New South Wales and Victoria (2nd ed.). Sydney: UNSW Press. pp. 121–122. ISBN   0868407062.