Luisia tristis

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Velvet orchid
LR049 72dpi Luisia teretifolia.jpg
Illustration by Lewis Roberts
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Luisia
Species:
L. tristis
Binomial name
Luisia tristis
Synonyms [1]
  • Cymbidium triste(G.Forst.) Willd.
  • Epidendrum tristeG.Forst.
  • Luisia atacta D.L.Jones
  • Luisia beccarii Rchb.f.
  • Luisia corrugataD.L.Jones
  • Luisia macrocarpa Schltr.

Luisia tristis, commonly known as the velvet orchid, [2] is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid with wiry stems often forming tangled clumps, cylindrical leaves and flowering stems with up to three green flowers with a dark red to dark maroon labellum. This orchid occurs in tropical Asia, New Guinea, Australia and some islands of the Western Pacific Ocean.

Contents

Description

Luisia tristis is an epiphytic or lithophytic herb that forms straggling or tangled clumps and has thick, flattened roots and wiry stems 100–400 millimetres (3.9–16 in) long and 1–3 millimetres (0.039–0.12 in) wide. Between two and ten rigid, cylindrical leaves 50–200 millimetres (2.0–7.9 in) long, 4–5 millimetres (0.16–0.20 in) wide are arranged along the stems 12–35 millimetres (0.47–1.4 in) apart. Up to three green resupinate, star-like flowers 7–8 millimetres (0.28–0.31 in) long and 9–11 millimetres (0.35–0.43 in) wide are on flowering stems 5–15 millimetres (0.20–0.59 in) long arising from leaf axils. The sepals are about 6 millimetres (0.24 in) long, 2.5 millimetres (0.098 in) wide and the petals are slightly longer but narrower. The labellum is dark red to dark maroon, about 7 millimetres (0.28 in) long and wide with three fleshy lobes. There is an oblong hyopchile at the base of the labellum and a heart-shaped upper epichile. Flowering occurs from November to April. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

The velvet orchid was first formally described in 1786 by Georg Forster who gave it the name Epidendrum triste and published the description in Florulae Insularum Australium Prodromus . [5] [6] In 1890 Joseph Dalton Hooker changed the name to Luisia tristis. [1] The specific epithet (tristis) is a Latin word meaning "sad". [7]

Distribution and habitat

The velvet orchid usually grows on rough-barked trees in well lit rainforest. It is found in southern Taiwan, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Maluku Islands, the Philippines, Guam, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Vanuatu and Australia. In Australia it occurs in the Northern Territory including Melville Island and on some Torres Strait Islands and the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland as far south as the Daintree River. [2] [3]

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<i>Micropera fasciculata</i> Species of orchid

Micropera fasciculata, commonly known as the pale dismal orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid with wiry stems forming large, tangled clumps. It has stiff, leathery leaves and flowering stems with between ten and twenty cream-coloured flowers with a white labellum. This orchid occurs in New Guinea, Queensland, the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia.

<i>Robiquetia gracilistipes</i> Species of orchid

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<i>Taeniophyllum lobatum</i> Species of orchid

Taeniophyllum lobatum, commonly known as the yellow ribbonroot, is a species of leafless epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that forms small clumps. It has short stems, flattened pale to greyish green roots pressed against the substrate on which it is growing and usually two pale to bright yellow flowers. It only occurs in tropical North Queensland.

<i>Taeniophyllum malianum</i> Species of orchid

Taeniophyllum malianum, commonly known as the tangled ribbonroot, is a species of leafless epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that forms tangled clumps. It has flattened green roots with irregular white spots and pressed against the substrate on which it is growing. There are up to fifteen fragrant yellow, short-lived flowers with up to three open at the same time. It only occurs in tropical North Queensland and in New Guinea.

<i>Thrixspermum congestum</i> Species of orchid

Thrixspermum congestum, commonly known as the cupped hairseed, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that forms small clumps with many thin roots, up to fifteen leathery leaves and many star-shaped white or cream-coloured flowers. This orchid occurs from Papuasia to northern Australia.

Thrixspermum platystachys, commonly known as the starry hairseed, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that forms untidy clumps with many tangled, wiry roots, up to ten stiff, leathery leaves and many star-shaped, cream-coloured flowers with an orange and white labellum. This orchid occurs from Papuasia to northern Queensland.

<i>Trachoma speciosum</i> Species of orchid

Trachoma speciosum, commonly known as the showy spectral orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that forms clumps with many thick, cord-like roots, between four and eight thick, leathery leaves and many short-lived, cream-coloured flowers with an orange and white labellum. This orchid occurs in tropical North Queensland.

<i>Trachoma stellatum</i> Species of orchid

Trachoma stellatum, commonly known as the starry spectral orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic clump-forming orchid with many thick roots. It has between three and eight thick, leathery leaves and many short-lived, cream-coloured flowers with purple markings and a yellow-tipped labellum. This orchid occurs in tropical North Queensland.

<i>Trachoma papuanum</i> Species of orchid

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<i>Vanda hindsii</i> Species of orchid

Vanda hindsii, commonly known as the native strap orchid or the Cape York vanda, is a large epiphytic or lithophytic clump-forming orchid. It has thick, white, cord-like roots, branching stems, many thick, leathery, strap-like leaves and between three and seven shiny brown flowers with greenish to yellow markings and a white labellum. This orchid occurs in New Guinea and tropical North Queensland.

Bryobium dischorense, commonly known as the spotted urchin orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic clump-forming orchid that has fleshy, oval pseudobulbs, each with a single thin leaf and between four and eight cup-shaped, cream-coloured or whitish flowers with red spots. This orchid occurs in New Guinea and Queensland.

Bryobium eriaeoides, commonly known as brittle urchin orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic clump-forming orchid that has fleshy, green pseudobulbs, each with two leaves and between three and twelve cup-shaped white to purplish flowers but that sometimes remain closed. This orchid occurs in New Guinea and Queensland.

<i>Pholidota imbricata</i> Species of orchid

Pholidota imbricata, commonly known as the common rattlesnake orchid or necklace orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is a clump-forming epiphyte or lithophyte with crowded pseudobulbs. Each pseudobulb has a single pleated, leathery leaf and up to sixty white, cream-coloured or greenish, cup-shaped flowers in two ranks along a wiry flowering stem. There is a large, papery bract at the base of each flower. This species is native to areas from tropical and subtropical Asia to the southwest Pacific.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Luisia tristis". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  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. pp. 435–436. ISBN   1877069124.
  3. 1 2 "Luisia tristis". Orchids of New Guinea. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  4. D.L.Jones; T.Hopley; S.M.Duffy (2010). "Factsheet - Luisia atacta". Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids . Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government . Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  5. "Epidendrum triste". APNI. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  6. Forster, Georg (1786). Florulae Insularum Australium Prodromus. New York. p. 60. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 675.