Oberonia

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Fairy orchids
LR059 72dpi Oberonia titania.jpg
Oberonia titania illustration by Lewis Roberts
Oberonia-Nagara Hole National Park, India.jpg
Oberonia sp.
Nagara Hole National Park, India
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Malaxideae
Subtribe: Malaxidinae
Genus: Oberonia
Lindl. [1]
Species
Synonyms [1]

Oberonia, commonly known as fairy orchids, [2] is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orchidaceae. Orchids in this genus are epiphytic or lithophytic plants with the leaves arranged fan-like, overlapping at the base and spreading near the tips. Large numbers of tiny, short-lived, cup-shaped, non-resupinate flowers are arranged on an arching flowering stem that emerges from the base of the uppermost leaf. There are about 270 species occurring from tropical and southern Africa to the Pacific. [3]

Contents

Description

Orchids in the genus Oberonia are epiphytic or lithophytic, sympodial herbs with the leaves in an unusual fan-like arrangement, in two overlapping rows near the base before spreading. A large number of tiny, non-resupinate, short-lived flowers are arranged in whorls or spirals along an arching flowering stem. The sepals and petals are all more or less similar to and free from each other although the petals are narrower than the sepals. The labellum is rigidly fixed to the base of the column and usually has three lobes. [2] [4] [5] [6]

Taxonomy and naming

The genus Oberonia was first formally described in 1830 by John Lindley who published the description in The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants. [1] [7] [8] The name Oberonia is a reference to Oberon, the king of the fairies, referring to the tiny flowers of these orchids and to their unusual arrangement on the flowering stems. [4] [8]

Distribution

Orchids in the genus Oberonia are native to tropical Africa, southern Asia including India, China, Japan, Indochina, Indonesia and the Philippines) and to Australia, and various islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. [1]

See also

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<i>Plectorrhiza</i> Genus of orchids

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<i>Oberonia titania</i> Species of orchid

Oberonia titania, commonly known as the soldier's crest orchid or red-flowered king of the fairies, is a plant in the orchid family and is a clump-forming epiphyte. It has between four and ten leaves in a fan-like arrangement on each shoot and up to 350 tiny pinkish to red flowers arranged in whorls around the flowering stem. It is found in Java, New Caledonia and eastern Australia including Norfolk Island.

<i>Rhomboda</i> Genus of flowering plants

Rhomboda, commonly known as velvet jewel orchids, is a genus of about twenty species of flowering plants in the orchid family Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are mostly terrestrial herbs with a fleshy, creeping rhizome and a loose rosette of green to maroon coloured leaves. Small resupinate or partly resupinate, dull coloured flowers are borne on a hairy flowering stem. The dorsal sepal and petals overlap and form a hood over the column and there is a deep pouch at the base of the labellum. They are found in tropical regions from northern India through Southeast Asia, China, Japan to Australia and some Pacific Islands.

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

Dendrobium baileyi, commonly known as the blotched gemini orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae and has arching stems and flowering stems with one or two spidery, yellow flowers with dark purple spots emerging from leaf axis. It grows in tropical North Queensland, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

<i>Dendrobium macrostachyum</i> Species of plant

Dendrobium macrostachyum, commonly known as the fringed tree orchid, is a species of epiphytic orchid with long, narrow pseudobulbs that lose their leaves as they mature, and up to three whitish to lime green flowers with a hairy labellum. It is native to Australia, tropical Asia and eastern Malesia.

Drymoanthus minutus, commonly known as green midget orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that forms small clumps with many thick roots emerging from a thin, erect stem. Between two and five dark green, leathery leaves are arranged along the stem and up to seven minute green to yellowish, star-shaped flowers are arranged on a stiff flowering stem. The sepals and petals are similar to each other and there is a fleshy white, unlobed labellum. This orchid occurs in northern Queensland where it grows in rainforest, usually at higher altitudes.

Oberonia attenuata, commonly known as the Mossman fairy orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is a small epiphyte. It has between four and seven leaves in a fan-like arrangement and large numbers of tiny reddish brown flowers on a pendulous flowering stem. It is only known from Mossman Gorge. The species was first formally described in 1960 but no further observations of the species were made, and it was presumed extinct until 2015.

Oberonia carnosa, commonly known as the rockpile fairy orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is a clump-forming epiphyte. It has between four and six leaves in a fan-like arrangement and large numbers of tiny orange brown flowers arranged in whorls around the flowering stem.

<i>Oberonia complanata</i> Species of orchid

Oberonia complanata, commonly known as the southern green fairy orchid or yellow-flowered king of the fairies, is a plant in the orchid family and is a clump-forming epiphyte. It has between three and eight leaves in a fan-like arrangement on each shoot and up to three hundred tiny cream-coloured or greenish flowers arranged in whorls around the flowering stem. It is endemic to eastern Australia.

<i>Oberonia crateriformis</i> Species of orchid

Oberonia crateriformis, commonly known as the cratered fairy orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is a clump-forming epiphyte or lithophyte. It has between four and six leaves in a fan-like arrangement on each shoot and a large number of pale red flowers arranged in whorls of eight around the flowering stem. It is endemic to Queensland.

Oberonia flavescens, commonly known as the northern green fairy orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is a clump-forming epiphyte or lithophyte. It has between four and six leaves in a fan-like arrangement on each shoot and a large number of whitish to yellowish flowers arranged in whorls of between six and eight around the flowering stem. It is endemic to Queensland.

Oberonia rimachila, commonly known as the channelled fairy orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is a clump-forming epiphyte or lithophyte. It has between five and seven leaves in a fan-like arrangement on each shoot and a large number of pinkish flowers arranged in whorls of between eight and ten around the flowering stem. It is endemic to Queensland.

Octarrhena pusilla, commonly known as the wispy grub orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic plant in the orchid family. It has thin roots, usually only a single stem, between three and six fleshy, cylindrical leaves and up to twenty small, white to cream-coloured flowers. This orchid is endemic to tropical North Queensland, Australia.

Phreatia crassiuscula, commonly known as the green caterpillar orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is an epiphyte or lithophyte with three to six fleshy, channelled leaves in a fan-like arrangement. Up to sixty tiny white, cream-coloured or greenish flowers are arranged along a curved flowering stem. It is endemic to tropical North Queensland.

Phreatia micrantha, commonly known as the native fan orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is an epiphyte or lithophyte with four to ten channelled leaves in a fan-like arrangement with their bases sheathing the stem. A large number of small white, cup-shaped flowers are arranged along a thin, wiry flowering stem. This orchid is native to areas between Papuasia and the western Pacific.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Oberonia". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. 1 2 Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 468–469. ISBN   1877069124.
  3. "Oberonia Lindl. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  4. 1 2 D.L.Jones; T.Hopley; S.M.Duffy (2010). "Oberonia". Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids . Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government . Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  5. Chen, Xinqi; Ormerod, Paul; Wood, Jeffrey J. "Oberonia". Flora of China. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  6. "Oberonia". Orchids of New Guinea. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  7. "Oberonia". APNI. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  8. 1 2 Lindley, John (1830). The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants. Piccadilly: Ridgways. p. 15. Retrieved 15 January 2019.