Microtis alba

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White mignonette orchid
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Microtis
Species:
M. alba
Binomial name
Microtis alba
Synonyms [1]

Microtis alba, commonly known as the white mignonette orchid [2] or slender onion-orchid, [3] is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single hollow, onion-like leaf and up to sixty small, green and white flowers with a strong musky fragrance. It is much more common after a fire the previous summer than in unburned country.

Contents

Description

Microtis alba is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single erect, smooth, tubular leaf 100–500 mm (4–20 in) long and 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide. Between ten and sixty green and white flowers are arranged along a flowering stem 200–800 mm (8–30 in) tall. The flowers have a strong musky fragrance, lean downwards and are 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. The dorsal sepal is 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide and forms a hood over the column. The lateral sepals are 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long, about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide with their tips rolled under. The petals are 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long, about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide and often curved. The labellum is oblong to wedge-shaped, 4–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long, 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) wide with wrinkled edges and a notched tip. Flowering occurs from October to January but much more prolifically after fire the previous summer. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Microtis alba was first formally described by Robert Brown in 1810 and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen . [5] [6] The specific epithet (alba) is a Latin word meaning "white". [7]

Distribution and habitat

The white mignonette orchid grows in a range of habitats from seasonally wet flats to forest and occurs between Dongara and Israelite Bay. [2] [3] [4]

Conservation

Microtis alba is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Microtis</i> (plant) Genus of orchids

Microtis, commonly known as onion orchids or mignonette orchids is a genus of about 20 species of plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Onion orchids are terrestrial herbs with a single leaf at the base of the plant. They are similar to orchids in the genus Prasophyllum in that they have an onion-like leaf. The flowers are small but often scented and attractive to their insect pollinators. They are widespread in Asia, Australia and some Pacific islands.

<i>Leptoceras</i> Genus of orchids

Leptoceras menziesii, commonly known as rabbit orchid, is a plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae and the only member of the genus Leptoceras. It is a slender plant, usually found in large colonies and which only flowers after fire. The flowers are small, white, pink and red on a stem up to 30 cm (10 in) tall and is endemic to southern Australia. It was one of the first orchids from Western Australia to be described and was given the name Caladenia menziesii, a name still used by some authorities.

<i>Microtis media</i> Species of orchid

Microtis media, commonly known as the common mignonette orchid, is a species of herbaceous plants of the family Orchidaceae endemic to the south–west of Western Australia. It has a single tubular leaf and up to one hundred small, yellowish green flowers arranged along the flowering stem.

<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>Microtis parviflora</i> Species of orchid

Microtis parviflora, commonly known as the slender onion-orchid, is a species of orchid which is native to Australia and New Zealand. It occurs in all states of Australia but is not known from the Northern Territory and may not occur in Western Australia. As with others in the genus, it has a single erect, smooth, tubular leaf and up to eighty flowers on an erect flower spike.

<i>Caladenia flava <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> flava</i> Subspecies of orchid

Caladenia flava subsp. flava, commonly known as the cowslip orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a relatively common orchid with a single, hairy leaf and up to three golden-yellow flowers which often have red markings.

<i>Caladenia flava <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> maculata</i> Subspecies of orchid

Caladenia flava subsp. maculata, commonly known as the Kalbarri cowslip orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and up to three lemon-yellow flowers with brownish-fawn spots on some parts. It mainly occurs in near-coastal areas north of Geraldton.

<i>Caladenia flava <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> sylvestris</i> Subspecies of orchid

Caladenia flava subsp. sylvestris, commonly known as the karri cowslip orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and up to three pale yellow and cream-coloured flowers which are white near the tips of the sepals and petals and marked with bright red or pink.

<i>Microtis media <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> media</i> Subspecies of orchid

Microtis media subsp. media, commonly known as the common mignonette orchid, is a species of orchid which is endemic to the south–west of Western Australia. It is a common, widespread orchid with a single smooth, tubular leaf and a flowering spike with up to one hundred small green flowers. It differs from Microtis media subsp. densiflora in the shape of its flower spike and the shape of its labellum.

<i>Diuris alba</i> Species of orchid

Diuris alba, commonly called the white donkey orchid, is a species of orchid which is endemic to eastern Australia. It has up to three leaves, and a flowering stem with up to seven white flowers with purplish markings.

Prasophyllum gibbosum, commonly known as the humped leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a late-flowering leek orchid with a single smooth, tubular leaf and up to eighty or more purplish-red and white flowers with a smooth labellum. It is similar to P. cucullatum but that species has a frilly labellum, usually a shorter flowering stem and an earlier flowering period.

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.

Microtis alboviridis, commonly known as the scented mignonette orchid or ghost mignonette orchid is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single hollow, onion-like leaf and up to forty or more small, greenish-white, sweetly scented flowers. It is similar to the white mignonette orchid but has smaller flowers and flowers abundantly in the absence of fire.

Microtis brownii, commonly known as the sweet mignonette orchid or sweet onion orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single hollow, onion-like leaf and up to sixty small, green and white scented flowers well-spaced along the flowering stem. It usually grows in swampy places, flowers more prolifically after summer fires and sometimes forms very large colonies.

Microtis rara, commonly known as the scented onion orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Australia, with the exception of the Northern Territory. It has a single hollow, onion-like leaf and up to fifty small green or yellowish-green, scented flowers. It is similar to Microtis oblonga and some authorities regard the two as being one species.

Microtis pulchella, commonly known as the beautiful mignonette orchid or beautiful onion orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single hollow, onion-like leaf and up to twenty five white, thinly textured flowers with a slight perfume. It only flowers after fire and only sometimes produces short, thread-like leaves in the absence of fire.

<i>Thelymitra canaliculata</i>

Thelymitra canaliculata, commonly called the flushed sun orchid or blue sun orchid is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, fleshy leaf and up to twenty eight blue flowers with darker veins and sometimes flushed with pink. The lobe on top of the anther is blackish with a yellow crest.

Thelymitra tigrina, commonly called the tiger orchid or tiger sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single narrow leaf and up to fifteen small yellow flowers with small brown spots.

<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.

<i>Dendrobium canaliculatum</i> Species of orchid

Dendrobium canaliculatum, commonly known as the brown tea tree orchid or thin tea tree orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae. It has cone-shaped or onion-shaped pseudobulbs, up to six deeply channelled, dark green leaves and up to thirty star-shaped, light brown to caramel-coloured white or greenish to apricot-coloured flowers with darker tips. It grows in tropical North Queensland and New Guinea.

References

  1. "Microtis alba". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. 1 2 3 Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 284. ISBN   9780980296457.
  3. 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. 222. ISBN   1877069124.
  4. 1 2 Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 337. ISBN   9780646562322.
  5. "Microtis alba". APNI. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  6. Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae. London. p. 321. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 856.
  8. "Microtis alba". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.