Velvet jewel orchid | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Orchidaceae |
Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
Tribe: | Cranichideae |
Subtribe: | Goodyerinae |
Genus: | Rhomboda |
Species: | R. polygonoides |
Binomial name | |
Rhomboda polygonoides | |
Synonyms [1] | |
|
Rhomboda polygonoides , commonly known as the velvet jewel orchid, [2] is a species of terrestrial orchid that is native to New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and north-eastern Queensland. It has between five and nine narrow egg-shaped, purplish green leaves with a central white stripe and up to fourteen green and white resupinate flowers with the lateral sepals held nearly horizontally.
Rhomboda polygonoides is a terrestrial, tuberous, perennial herb with between five and nine purplish green to bronze coloured, narrow egg-shaped leaves with a broad central white stripe. The leaves are scattered along the flowering stem and are 50–80 mm (2–3 in) long and 15–22 mm (0.6–0.9 in) wide. Between five and fourteen resupinate, green and white flowers, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide are borne on a more or less hairy flowering stem 100–300 mm (4–10 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is broadly egg-shaped, about 4.5 mm (0.2 in) long, 3 mm (0.1 in) wide and is fused to the petals forming a hood over the column. The lateral sepals are green, about 5 mm (0.2 in) long, 3 mm (0.1 in) wide, held almost horizontally and spread widely apart from each other. The petals are translucent white,4.5 mm (0.2 in) long and about 1.3 mm (0.05 in) wide. The labellum is about 5 mm (0.2 in) long, 2 mm (0.08 in) wide with inrolled edges, a narrow central region and a deep pouch at its base. Flowering occurs from June to August in Australia but over a longer period in New Guinea. [2] [3] [4] [5]
The velvet jewel orchid was first formally described in 1873 by Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the name Goodyera polygonoides from a specimen collected near Rockingham Bay. The description was published in Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae . [6] [7] In 1995, Paul Ormerod changed the name to Rhomboda polygonoides. [8] The specific epithet (polygonoides) refers to a perceived similarity of this species to a plant in the genus Polygonum . The suffix -oides is a Latin ending meaning "likeness". [9]
In Australia the orchid has been recorded from three tropical rainforest locations in north-east Queensland between the Paluma Range and the Daintree River, at altitudes of 450 to 600 m above sea level, growing on the forest floor. It occurs within the Wet Tropics of Queensland Natural Resource Management Region. Plants have been collected in notophyll vine forest, on the tops of granite boulders, flat rocks and the rotting wood of fallen trees. [3]
The orchid is listed as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Queensland Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006. All known populations lie within protected areas. Potentially, the main threats to the orchid in Australia are illegal over-collection by orchid enthusiasts, and from feral pigs. [3]
Flindersia schottiana, commonly known as bumpy ash, cudgerie or silver ash, is a species of rainforest tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to New Guinea and eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves with mostly ten to sixteen leaflets, panicles of white flowers and woody fruit studded with rough points.
Sarcochilus fitzgeraldii, commonly known as the ravine orchid, is a lithophytic orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It forms large clumps with between four and eight dark green, linear leaves and up to fifteen white flowers with crimson spots near the centre.
Bulbophyllum baileyi, commonly known as the fruit fly orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that is native to Queensland and New Guinea. It has coarse, creeping rhizomes, curved, yellowish pseudobulbs with a single thick, fleshy leaf, and a single cream-coloured flower with yellow, red or purple spots. It grows on trees and rocks in open forest, often in exposed places.
Bulbophyllum gracillimum, commonly known as the wispy umbrella orchid, is a species of epiphytic orchid. It has a creeping rhizome, widely spaced, olive green pseudobulbs, each with a single thick, leathery, fleshy leaf and between six and ten purplish red flowers spreading in a semicircular umbel. The flowers have distinctive long, thread-like tails on the lateral sepals. It has a wide distribution and is found in New Guinea, New Caledonia, Indonesia, Malaysia and part of tropical North Queensland.
Bulbophyllum nematopodum, commonly known as the green cowl orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that has small, flask-shaped pseudobulbs pressed against the surface on which it grows. Each pseudobulb has roots at its base, a single shiny, fleshy leaf and a single cream-coloured flower with red spots on its top. It grows on trees and rocks in rainforest and is endemic to tropical North Queensland.
Dendrobium smillieae, commonly known as the bottlebrush orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid with large, spongy pseudobulbs, thin, bright green leaves which are shed after their first year and crowded flowers in a bottlebrush-like arrangement. The flowers are white, to cream-coloured or pink and the labellum has a shiny, dark green tip. This orchid species is found in some of the Torres Strait Islands, and through Cape York Peninsula to Townsville, Queensland. It is also found in New Guinea and eastern Indonesia.
Spathoglottis paulinae, commonly known as the small purple orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is native to New Guinea and Tropical North Queensland. It is an evergreen terrestrial orchid with crowded pseudobulbs, between four and seven large, pleated leaves and up to thirty mauve to purple flowers.
Arthrochilus irritabilis, commonly known as clubbed elbow orchid, is a flowering plant in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) and is endemic to Queensland. It has up to five leaves and up to thirty light greenish or reddish, insect-like flower with reddish, hair-like glands on its labellum. There is a single record of this species from Papua New Guinea.
Nervilia uniflora, commonly known as the red shield orchid, is a small terrestrial orchid found in northern Queensland. It has a single short-lived, pink or mauve flower. A dark green, heart-shaped leaf emerges at the base of the flowering stem after flowering.
Goodyera umbrosa, commonly known as the native jade orchid or green jewel orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to northern Queensland where it grows in highland rainforest. It has between four and eight large, egg-shaped leaves and up to ten small pale green or pinkish flowers with the dorsal sepal and petals forming a hood over the column.
Goodyera rubicunda, commonly known as the giant jewel orchid, is a species of orchid that is native to parts of India, Asia, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Queensland and some Pacific Islands where it grows in damp forest and rainforest. It has between three and six large, egg-shaped leaves and up to ten dull pink and white resupinate flowers that are hairy on the outside.
Liparis habenarina, commonly known as the common sphinx orchid or common hobgoblin orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is endemic to Australia. It is a deciduous, terrestrial orchid with two or three egg-shaped leaves and between eight and twenty-two brownish to purplish flowers with their lateral sepals joined at the base. It grows in the understorey of near-coastal forests.
Eulophia venosa, commonly known as the pointed corduroy orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is native to India, parts of Southeast Asia as well as New Guinea and northern Australia. It is a deciduous, terrestrial orchid with one large and one small leaf and between six and twenty pale green or yellowish flowers with purple markings. It grows in rainforest and grassy forests.
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.
Dendrobium fellowsii, commonly known as the native damsel orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae and has upright pseudobulbs, up to five leaves and groups of up to five pale green or yellowish flowers with a deep purple labellum. It grows in tropical North Queensland.
Dendrobium lichenastrum, commonly known as the common button orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid endemic to far north Queensland. It has a creeping, branching rhizome surrounded by papery bracts, small egg-shaped to round, fleshy, dark green leaves and a single white, cream-coloured or pink flower with red stripes and an orange labellum.
Dendrobium monophyllum, commonly known as the lily-of-the-valley orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae. It has pale green to yellowish pseudobulbs with one or two leaves, and between five and twenty bell-shaped yellow flowers. It grows in rainforest in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia.
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.
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.
Melicope xanthoxyloides is a species of small tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to New Guinea and Queensland. It has trifoliate leaves and small green to yellow or cream-coloured flowers arranged in panicles in leaf axils.