Crepidium fontinale

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Yellow spur orchid
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Crepidium
Species:
C. fontinale
Binomial name
Crepidium fontinale

Crepidium fontinale, commonly known as the yellow spur orchid, [2] is a plant in the orchid family and is endemic to the Northern Territory. It is an evergreen, terrestrial orchid with a fleshy stem, wavy leaves and many yellowish green flowers crowded on a green flowering stem.

Contents

Description

Crepidium fontinale is a terrestrial, evergreen herb with upright, fleshy stems 40–60 mm (2–2 in) and 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide. There are between four and six dark green, egg-shaped leaves 100–150 mm (4–6 in) long and 30–50 mm (1–2 in) wide with wavy edges. A large number of crowded, yellowish green, non-resupinate flowers are crowded along a green flowering stem 100–300 mm (4–10 in) long. The flowers are yellowish green, 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 9–11 mm (0.35–0.43 in) wide. The dorsal sepal is 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long, about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide and turns downwards. The lateral sepals are a similar length, about 2.5 mm (0.1 in) wide and spread apart from each other. The petals are a linear in shape and similar in size to the sepals. The labellum is more or less round to heart-shaped, 6–7.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 6 mm (0.2 in) wide with the tip folded backwards and smooth edges. Flowering occurs between January and February. [3] [2] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Crepidium fontinale was first formally described in 2006 by David Jones and Mark Clements from a specimen collected from the Black Jungle in the Northern Territory. [1] [5] The specific epithet (fontinale) is a Latin word meaning "of a spring", [6] referring to the preferred habitat of this orchid. [3]

The species has previously been known as Malaxis acuminata which occurs in Southeast Asia but has been shown to be genetically and morphologically distinct from that species. [3]

Distribution and habitat

The yellow spur orchid grows in moist areas, especially near springs in dense rainforest and is found in northern parts of the Northern Territory including Bathurst Island. [2] [3]

Conservation

This orchid is conserved in national parks. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Crepidium</i> Genus of orchids

Crepidium, commonly known as 沼兰属 or spur orchids is a genus of about three hundred species of orchids in the family Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are evergreen, mostly terrestrial plants with short stems lying on the ground, two or more relatively large, pleated leaves and small, non-resupinate flowers with spreading sepals and petals. The genus is widely distributed in the tropics.

<i>Calanthe triplicata</i> Species of plant

Calanthe triplicata commonly known as the common Christmas orchid is a plant in the orchid family and is native to Oceania, Asia, and the islands of eastern Africa. It is a terrestrial orchid that grows in clumps with crowded pseudobulbs, dark green corrugated leaves and up to forty white flowers. The sepals and petals are similar to each other and the labellum has three spreading lobes and a yellow callus.

<i>Phaius tankervilleae <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> australis</i> Variety of orchid

Phaius tankervilleaevar.australis, also known as the common swamp orchid, southern swamp-orchid, swamp lily or island swamp-orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It is an evergreen, terrestrial herb with large, crowded pseudobulbs, large pleated leaves and flowers that are reddish brown on the inside and white outside.

Zeuxine oblonga , commonly known as the common jewel orchid is a species of orchid that is endemic to northern Australia. It has up to seven narrow egg-shaped leaves and up to thirty small green and white flowers crowded along a fleshy, hairy flowering stem. It mainly grows in wet forest and rainforest.

<i>Spathoglottis paulinae</i> Species of orchid

Spathoglottis paulinae, commonly known as the small purple orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is native to New Guinea and Tropical North Queensland. It is an evergreen terrestrial orchid with crowded pseudobulbs, between four and seven large, pleated leaves and up to thirty mauve to purple flowers.

<i>Dienia ophrydis</i>

Dienia ophrydis, commonly known as the common snout orchid or 无耳沼兰 is a plant in the orchid family and is native to endemic to a broad area of Asia, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, New Guinea and northern Australia. It is a deciduous, terrestrial orchid with a cone-shaped stem, bright green, wavy leaves and many greenish, brown, reddish or purplish flowers crowded on a wiry flowering stem.

<i>Prasophyllum petilum</i>

Prasophyllum petilum, commonly known as the Tarengo leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single tubular, green leaf and up to eighteen pinkish mauve to greenish flowers, well-spaced along a slender flowering stem. It is a small orchid, difficult to locate, generally growing in taller grasses.

<i>Prasophyllum dossenum</i>

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>Prasophyllum solstitium</i>

Prasophyllum solstitium is a species of orchid endemic to the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. It has a single tubular, bright green leaf and up to thirty five greenish-pink to purplish-red flowers crowded on the flowering stem. It grows in grassland on heavy basalt soil.

<i>Genoplesium arrectum</i>

Genoplesium arrectum, commonly known as the erect midge orchid and as Corunastylis arrecta in Australia, is a small terrestrial orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single thin leaf fused to the flowering stem and up to twenty small, dark purple flowers. It grows in a montane and subalpine grassland and forest in Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.

Genoplesium confertum, commonly known as the crowded midge orchid, is a small terrestrial orchid endemic to the south-east of Queensland. It has a single thin leaf fused to the flowering stem and up to sixty small, densely crowded, reddish and green flowers and grows in coastal heath.

Genoplesium morinum, commonly known as the mulberry midge orchid and as Corunastylis morina in Australia, is a small terrestrial orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single thin leaf fused to the flowering stem and up to twenty crowded, dark reddish purple flowers. It has been known as "mulberries on sticks".

<i>Genoplesium pumilum</i>

Genoplesium pumilum, commonly known as the green midge orchid in Australia, and the yellow gumland leek orchid in New Zealand is a small terrestrial orchid native to south-eastern Australia and New Zealand. It has a single thin leaf fused to the flowering stem and up to twenty five green to yellowish-green flowers which sometimes have red markings. Australian and New Zealand authorities use the name Corunastylis pumila.

<i>Crepidium fimbriatum</i> Species of orchid

Crepidium fimbriatum, commonly known as the fringed spur orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is endemic to tropical Far North Queensland. It is an evergreen, terrestrial orchid with a fleshy stem, wavy leaves and many purple flowers crowded on a purple flowering stem.

Crepidium flavovirens, commonly known as the green spur orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is endemic to tropical far North Queensland. It is an evergreen, terrestrial orchid with a fleshy stem, wavy leaves and many yellowish green flowers crowded on a green flowering stem.

<i>Crepidium lawleri</i> Species of orchid

Crepidium lawleri, commonly known as the small spur orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is endemic to tropical far north Queensland. It is an evergreen, terrestrial orchid with an upright stem, dark green leaves and up to ten greenish cream-coloured flowers well spaced along a brittle flowering stem.

<i>Crepidium marsupichilum</i> Species of orchid

Crepidium marsupichilum, commonly known as the pouched spur orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is endemic to tropical far north Queensland. It is an evergreen, terrestrial orchid with an cone-shaped stem, light green, shiny leaves and a large number of purple flowers crowded along a green and purple flowering stem.

Tropidia territorialis, commonly known as the striped crown orchid, is an evergreen, terrestrial plant with between three and six thin, pleated, dark green leaves and up to twenty crowded, green and white flowers. It is only known from about five places in the Northern Territory, Australia.

<i>Pomatocalpa marsupiale</i>

Pomatocalpa marsupiale, commonly known as the branched bladder orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that forms large clumps. It has many thick roots, branched stems, many strap-like, leathery leaves and up to many upward-facing green flowers with a cream-coloured or yellowish labellum. It usually grows on high on rainforest trees and is found between Sulawesi and tropical North Queensland, Australia.

<i>Sarcochilus serrulatus</i> Species of orchid

Sarcochilus serrulatus, commonly known as the banded butterfly orchid, is an epiphytic orchid endemic to tropical North Queensland. It has up to six crowded leaves with finely toothed and wavy edges and up to ten reddish brown flowers with a white, yellow-banded labellum.

References

  1. 1 2 "Crepidium fontinale". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. 1 2 3 Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 355. ISBN   1877069124.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Jones, David L.; Clements, Mark A. (2006). "Fourteen new taxa of Orchidaceae from northern and eastern Australia and two combination from New Guinea". Australian Orchid Research. 5: 8–9.
  4. "Crepidium fimbriatum". Trin keys. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  5. "Crepidium fontinale". APNI. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  6. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 341.