Tropical hyacinth orchid | |
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Dipodium stenocheilum in Charles Darwin National Park | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Orchidaceae |
Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
Genus: | Dipodium |
Species: | D. stenocheilum |
Binomial name | |
Dipodium stenocheilum | |
Synonyms | |
Dipodium punctatum var. stenocheilum(O.Schwarz) Rupp Contents |
Dipodium stenocheilum, commonly known as tropical hyacinth-orchid, [3] is a leafless saprophytic orchid that is endemic to northern Australia. For most of the year the plant is dormant but in summer it produces a tall flowering stem with up to twenty five white flowers with purple spots and a mauve labellum.
Dipodium stenocheilum is a leafless, tuberous, perennial, mycoheterotrophic herb. For most of the year the plant is dormant but in summer it produces between three and twenty five white flowers with purple spots and 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) wide are borne on a greenish yellow flowering stem 40–120 cm (20–50 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long, 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide but the lateral sepals are slightly longer, the petals shorter than both. The sepals and petals are free from each other and flat or only slightly curved backwards. The labellum is mauve with darker markings, 15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) long, 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide and has three lobes with a central band of mauve hairs. Flowering occurs from November to March. [3]
Dipodium stenocheilum was first formally described in 1927 by Otto Schwarz and the description was published in Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis . The type specimen was collected near Port Darwin. [1] The specific epithet (stenocheilum) is derived from the Ancient Greek words stenos meaning "narrow" or "tight" [4] :546 and cheilos meaning "lip" or "rim". [4] :200
Dipodium stenocheilum occurs in the Northern Territory including Melville Island, on the Cape York Peninsula and the Kimberley region of Western Australia. [5] [6]
Andrew Phillip Brown, Matthew David Barrett and others have suggested that collections from Western Australia represent two species, yet to be formally described. They are the sandstone hyacinth orchid D. ammolithum (also known as Dipodium sp. 'sandstone') and the basalt hyacinth orchid D. basalticum (also known as Dipodium sp. 'basalt woodland'). [7] [8]
Pollination of this species, as for all species in the genus, is by native bees and wasps. [3] :270
No leafless species of Dipodium has been successfully maintained in cultivation due to the inability to replicate the association with mycorrhizal fungi in a horticultural context. [3] :270
Dipodium, commonly known as hyacinth orchids, is a genus of about forty species of orchids native to tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of south-east Asia, New Guinea, the Pacific Islands and Australia. It includes both terrestrial and climbing species, some with leaves and some leafless, but all with large, often colourful flowers on tall flowering stems. It is the only genus of its alliance, Dipodium.
Dipodium punctatum, commonly known as the blotched hyacinth-orchid, is a leafless orchid that is a native to eastern and south-eastern continental Australia. In summer it produces a tall flowering stem with up to sixty pale to bright pink flowers with heavy red blotches. A widespread and common species it is often confused with D. roseum and some authorities regard it as a synonym of D. squamatum.
Dipodium elegantulum, commonly known as the elegant hyacinth orchid, is a leafless orchid that is endemic to Queensland. In spring and summer it has up to sixty pale to dark pink flowers with a few darker spots and streaks near the tips, on a tall flowering stem.
Dipodium roseum, commonly known as rosy hyacinth-orchid or pink hyacinth-orchid, is a leafless saprophytic orchid found in east and south-eastern Australia. In summer it produces a tall flowering stem with up to fifty pale pink flowers with small, dark red spots. A widespread and common species it is often confused with D. punctatum but has darker, less heavily spotted flowers.
Dipodium variegatum, commonly known as the slender hyacinth-orchid, or blotched hyacinth-orchid, is a leafless mycoheterotrophic orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It forms mycorrhizal relationships with fungi of the genus Russula.
Dipodium campanulatum, commonly known as the bell-flower hyacinth orchid, is a leafless mycoheterotroph orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. In summer it has up to thirty five white flowers with large, dark red spots and blotches.
Dipodium ensifolium, commonly known as leafy hyacinth-orchid, is an orchid species that is endemic to north-east Queensland. It has sword-shaped leaves and up to twenty pink to mauve flowers with purplish spots and blotches.
Dipodium atropurpureum, commonly known as the purple hyacinth orchid, is an almost leafless mycoheterotrophic orchid that is endemic to New South Wales. In summer it has up to forty dark pinkish purple to reddish purple flowers with darker spots and blotches on a tall flowering stem.
Dipodium pulchellum is an almost leafless orchid that is endemic to north-east New South Wales and south-east Queensland in Australia. Up to forty pink flowers with darker blotches are borne in summer and winter on flowering spikes up to 90 cm (40 in) long.
Praecoxanthus aphyllus, commonly known as leafless orchid, is the only species of the flowering plant genus Praecoxanthus in the orchid family, Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Plants in flower lack a true leaf, although those plants that are not flowering do possess a green leaf. This species is one of the first orchids to flower each year and its creamy white, fragrant flower easily distinguishes it from other species.
Caladenia colorata, commonly known as coloured spider-orchid, small western spider-orchid and painted spider-orchid is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia and possibly Victoria. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf, and usually a single creamy-green flower with blood-red or purple-brown markings and with dark tips on the petals and sepals.
Caladenia aperta, commonly known as the western tiny blue china orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It has a relatively narrow leaf and a single bluish-mauve flower. It is distinguished from the other two similar blue orchids by the sides of the labellum which are erect but well-separated from the column. This species also has a more easterly distribution than C. amplexans and C. sericea.
Caladenia ashbyae, commonly known as the powder-blue china orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It has a relatively short, broad leaf and one or two pale bluish-mauve flowers.
Caladenia gemmata, commonly known as the blue china orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a small, oval leaf and up to three intense blue to mauve flowers. It is the most common and widespread of the West Australian china orchids, sometimes appearing in large numbers after summer fires.
Caladenia sericea, commonly known as the silky blue orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a common orchid in the high rainfall areas of the state and has a single, broad, silky leaf and up to four blue-mauve flowers.
Genoplesium nigricans, commonly known as mallee midge orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Australia. It is a terrestrial herb with a single leaf mostly surrounding the stem, and up to 50 tiny, greenish flowers with a deep maroon-coloured labellum and often have a fruity fragrance. Australian authorities use the name Corunastylis tepperi, a widespread species which has been confused with Corunastylis nigricans, a species with purplish brown flowers and which only occurs on Kangaroo Island and the Eyre Peninsula.
Diuris oporina, commonly called the autumn donkey orchid or northern white donkeys tails is a species of orchid that is endemic to Queensland. It has a single tapering, linear leaf at its base and up to ten white flowers with mauve to purple markings. It grows in the drier parts of the tablelands in Far North Queensland.
Arthrochilus byrnesii, commonly known as the sandstone truffle orchid, is a rare species of flowering plant in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) and is endemic to the far north-west of Australia. It has three dark green leaves at its base and up to fifteen greenish, insect-like flowers with dark reddish black glands on its labellum. This species is known by some authorities as Phoringopsis byrnesii.
Calochilus pruinosus, commonly known as the mallee beard orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to southern continental Australia. It has up to fifteen dull greenish, pinkish or brownish flowers with red lines and a labellum with a purplish "beard", but is leafless.
Gastrodia lacista, commonly known as the western potato orchid, is a leafless terrestrial mycotrophic orchid in the family Orchidaceae. It has a thin brown flowering stem with up to fifty small, drooping, fawn and white, tube-shaped flowers. It grows in forest and woodland in the south-west of Western Australia.