Taeniophyllum confertum

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Crowded ribbonroot
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Taeniophyllum
Species:
T. confertum
Binomial name
Taeniophyllum confertum

Taeniophyllum confertum, commonly known as the crowded ribbonroot, [2] is a species of leafless epiphytic orchid which only grows as single plants that form small clumps. It has short stems and flattened green roots pressed against the tree on which it is growing. Between five and ten pale green, tube-shaped flowers open one at a time. This orchid only grows in a small area of tropical North Queensland.

Contents

Description

Taeniophyllum confertum is a leafless, epiphytic herb that only grows as single plants. It has a stem 1–2 millimetres (0.039–0.079 in) long and flattened green photosynthetic roots 30–100 millimetres (1.2–3.9 in) long, 2–3 millimetres (0.079–0.12 in) wide and pressed against the substrate. Between five and ten resupinate, pale green, tube-shaped flowers about 4–5 millimetres (0.16–0.20 in) long and 2 millimetres (0.079 in) wide open one at a time. The sepals and petals are fleshy with only the tips spreading apart from each other. The labellum is boat-shaped, about 3 millimetres (0.12 in) long, 1 millimetre (0.039 in) wide, green and fleshy with a blunt appendage and a spur on its end. Flowering occurs from August to December. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Taeniophyllum confertum was first formally described in 1985 by Bruce Gray and David Jones and the description was published in The Orchadian. [4] The specific epithet (confertum) is a Latin word meaning "pressed together", "crowded", "thick" or "dense". [5]

Distribution and habitat

The crowded ribbonroot grows on the smallest branches of rainforest trees. It is only known from between the McIlwraith Range and the Mulgrave River. [2] [3]

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<i>Bulbophyllum wolfei</i> Species of orchid

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<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.

Taeniophyllum clementsii, commonly known as the fleshy threadfoot, is a species of leafless epiphytic orchid which only grows as single plants. It has short stems and flattened green roots pressed against the tree on which it is growing. Between five and fifty small, pale green, tube-shaped flowers are arranged on a zig-zagged flowering stem. The flowers open one at a time, with the flowering stem increasing in length as each flower opens. This orchid only grows in a small area of tropical North Queensland.

<i>Robiquetia gracilistipes</i>

Robiquetia gracilistipes, commonly known as the large pouched orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid from the family Orchidaceae that forms large, hanging, straggly clumps. It has long, thick, roots, a single stem, many thick, leathery leaves and up to forty cream-coloured, pale green or brownish flowers with red spots and a three-lobed labellum. It grows on trees and rocks in rainforest, usually in bright light. It is found in Malesia including New Guinea, the Solomon Islands 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.

Saccolabiopsis rectifolia, commonly known as the tiny pitcher orchid, is an epiphytic orchid from the family Orchidaceae. It has a short stem, thin roots, between three and six crowded leaves and up to fifteen cup-shaped green flowers with a white, purple spotted labellum. It grows on the thinnest outer branches of rainforest trees in tropical North Queensland, Australia.

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

Taeniophyllum hasseltii, commonly known as the Christmas Island ribbonroot, is a species of leafless epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that forms small clumps. It has short stems and flattened silvery grey roots pressed against the substrate on which it is growing. The flowers are tube-shaped, pale yellow and open one at a time. This orchid is only known from Christmas Island, an Australian territory and the Indonesia island of Java.

<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.

Taeniophyllum norfolkianum, commonly known as the Norfolk Island ribbonroot, is a species of small, leafless epiphytic orchid. It has short stems, cylindrical green roots pressed against the substrate on which it is growing and between two and five small, tube-shaped, yellowish green flowers opening one at a time. It occurs on Norfolk Island but has also been reported from the North Island of New Zealand.

<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.

<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.

Trachoma papuanum, commonly known as the yellow spectral orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic clump-forming orchid with a between three and six thick, fleshy leaves and many dull yellow flowers with a white labellum opening in groups of up to four. This orchid occurs in New Guinea, Queensland and some islands in the South Pacific.

<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.

Bryobium retusum, commonly known as the Christmas Island urchin orchid, is an epiphytic clump-forming orchid that has oval, fleshy green pseudobulbs, each with two leaves and between seven and twelve short-lived, self-pollinating, pale green, hairy flowers. This orchid is found between Java and New Caledonia.

References

  1. "Taeniophyllum confertum". 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. 454. ISBN   1877069124.
  3. 1 2 "Taeniophyllum confertum". Trin keys: Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  4. "Taeniophyllum confertum". APNI. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  5. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 227.