Plectorrhiza tridentata

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Common tangle orchid
Plectorrhiza tridentata.jpg
Plectorrhiza tridenta growing near Nowra
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Plectorrhiza
Species:
P. tridentata
Binomial name
Plectorrhiza tridentata
Synonyms [1]
  • Cleisostoma tridentatum Lindl.
  • Sarcochilus tridentatus(Lindl.) Rchb.f.
  • Thrixspermum tridentatum(Lindl.) Rchb.f.
  • Sarcanthus tridentatus(Lindl.) Rupp
  • Saccolabium calcaratum F.Muell.
  • Sarcochilus calcaratus(F.Muell.) F.Muell.
  • Cleisostoma cornutumRupp

Plectorrhiza tridentata, commonly known as the common tangle orchid, [2] is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that has many coarse, tangled roots, up to twenty egg-shaped leaves and up to fifteen green or brown, star-shaped flowers with a white labellum. It grows on rainforest trees and in other humid places and occurs between the Daintree National Park in Queensland and the far north-eastern corner of Victoria.

Contents

Common tangle orchid habit Orchid Berowra Creek.jpg
Common tangle orchid habit

Description

Plectorrhiza tridentata is an epiphytic or lithophytic herb with a single main flattened stem, 100–300 millimetres (3.9–12 in) long suspended by one to a few of its many tangled aerial roots. There are between three and twenty green to purplish, leathery, narrow egg-shaped leaves 50–100 millimetres (2.0–3.9 in) long and 10–15 millimetres (0.39–0.59 in) wide. Between three and fifteen green or brown flowers, 5–6 millimetres (0.20–0.24 in) long and 6–8 millimetres (0.24–0.31 in) wide are borne on a pendulous flowering stem 50–120 millimetres (2.0–4.7 in) long. The sepals and petals are free from each other and spread widely apart. The dorsal sepal is 4–5 millimetres (0.16–0.20 in) long, about 2 millimetres (0.079 in) wide and the lateral sepals are slightly longer. The petals are 4–5 millimetres (0.16–0.20 in) long, about 1.5 millimetres (0.059 in) wide. The labellum is white with a green patch, 6–7 millimetres (0.24–0.28 in) long, about 4 millimetres (0.16 in) wide with three lobes. The side lobes are more or less triangular and curve outwards and the middle lobe is blunt with a curved spur about 2 millimetres (0.079 in) long. Flowering occurs from September to January. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Taxonomy and naming

The common tangle orchid was first formally described in 1838 by John Lindley who gave it the name Cleisostoma tridentatum and published the description in Edwards's Botanical Register . [7] [8] In 1967 Alick Dockrill changed the name to Plectorrhiza tridentata. [9] The specific epithet (tridentata) is derived from the Latin word tridens meaning "a fork with three tines". [10]

Distribution and habitat

Plectorrhiza tridentata usually grows on trees in humid places such as deep gullies and swamps. It is found in from the Daintree area in Queensland south along the coast and nearby ranges of New South Wales to rainforest east of the Snowy River in north-eastern Victoria. [2] [3] [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

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Bulbophyllum wolfei, commonly known as the fleshy snake orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid with thin, creeping rhizomes, and flattened pseudobulbs each with a single thick, fleshy, dark green leaf and a single cream-coloured flower with dark red stripes. It mostly grows on rainforest trees in tropical North Queensland.

<i>Plectorrhiza</i> Genus of orchids

Plectorrhiza, commonly known as tangle orchids, is a genus of three species of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae and is endemic to Australia. Orchids in the genus Plectorrhiza are epiphytic or lithophytic herbs with short stems, long, tangled roots, short leathery leaves and small flowers on a short, thin flowering stem. Two species occur in eastern Australia and one is endemic to Lord Howe Island.

Schistotylus purpuratus, commonly known as purple sprites, is the only species in the genus Schistotylus from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is a small epiphytic orchid with up to six crowded, linear leaves and up to ten cup-shaped, pale green flowers with purple marking and a mostly white labellum. It grows in rainforest and swampy heath in eastern Australia.

Plectorrhiza erecta , commonly known as the upright tangle orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that has many coarse, cord-like roots, many bright green leaves and up to five yellowish orange, cup-shaped flowers with purplish blotches. It grows close to the ground on fibrous barked plants and only occurs on Lord Howe Island.

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

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Chiloschista phyllorhiza, commonly known as the white starfish orchid, is a species of leafless epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that forms small clumps with many radiating, flattened green roots. A large number of short-lived, crystalline white, star-shaped flowers with a yellow labellum are arranged along thin, arching flowering stems. It occurs in northern parts of Australia where it grows in rainforest, swamps and near streams.

<i>Luisia tristis</i> Species of orchid

Luisia tristis, commonly known as the velvet orchid, 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.

<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>Plectorrhiza brevilabris</i> Species of orchid

Plectorrhiza brevilabris, commonly known as the small tangle orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid endemic to Australia. It has many coarse, wiry roots, between three and nine bright green leaves and up to twenty green, star-shaped flowers with reddish brown markings and a white patch on the labellum. It grows in rainforest on trees, shrubs and occasionally on rocks and occurs on the near coastal ranges of eastern Queensland.

<i>Pomatocalpa macphersonii</i> Species of orchid

Pomatocalpa macphersonii, commonly known as the blotched bladder orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid with thick, cord-like roots, between two and eight dark green, leathery leaves and up to thirty cup-shaped, yellow flowers with red blotches and a white labellum with red blotches. It usually grows on rainforest trees and is found in New Guinea and tropical North Queensland, Australia.

<i>Pomatocalpa marsupiale</i> Species of orchid

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.

Saccolabiopsis armitii, commonly known as the spotted pitcher orchid, is an epiphytic orchid from the family Orchidaceae. It has a short stem, coarse, wiry roots, between three and six crowded, curved leaves and up to fifty yellowish green flowers with red markings and a white labellum. It usually grows in coastal scrub to rainforest in New Guinea and tropical North Queensland, Australia.

Taeniophyllum muelleri, commonly known as the chain ribbonroot, is a species of leafless epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that usually forms tangled colonies. It has short stems and cylindrical green roots pressed against the substrate on which it is growing. Between five and twelve yellowish green, tube-shaped flowers open one at a time. This orchid occurs in eastern Australia and New Caledonia.

<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.

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 the 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>Bryobium queenslandicum</i> Species of orchid

Bryobium queenslandicum, commonly known as the dingy urchin orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic clump-forming orchid that has cylindrical, fleshy green pseudobulbs, each with two leaves and between three and twelve small, self-pollinating, cream-coloured or pinkish flowers. This orchid only occurs in tropical North Queensland.

References

  1. 1 2 "Plectorrhiza tridentata". 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. 442. ISBN   1877069124.
  3. 1 2 "Plectorrhiza tridentata". Trin keys: Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  4. Les Robinson – Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, ISBN   978-0-7318-1211-0 page 264
  5. 1 2 Weston, Peter H. "Plectorrhiza tridentata". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  6. 1 2 Jeanes, Jeff. "Plectorrhiza tridentata". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  7. "Cleisostoma tridentatum". APNI. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  8. Lindley, John (1838). "Cleisostoma tridenticulatum". Edwards's Botanical Register. 24: 33. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  9. "Plectorrhiza tridentata". APNI. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  10. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 345.