Chiloglottis formicifera

Common ant orchid
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Chiloglottis
Species:
C. formicifera
Binomial name
Chiloglottis formicifera
Synonyms[1]

Chiloglottis formicifera, commonly known as the common ant orchid,[2] is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has two broad leaves and a single narrow, greenish or reddish flower with a black, ant-like callus covering most of the upper surface of the labellum. There is a single record of this species from New Zealand.

Description

Chiloglottis formicifera is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with two leaves 30–60 mm (1–2 in) long and 15–25 mm (0.6–1 in) wide. A single greenish or reddish flower 12–16 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide is borne on a flowering stem 60–100 mm (2–4 in) high. The dorsal sepal is spatula-shaped, 10–12.5 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long and about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide. The lateral sepals are 9–10 mm (0.35–0.39 in) long, about 0.7 mm (0.03 in) wide and erect at the base then curve downwards. There is a glandular tip about 0.5 mm (0.02 in) long on the end of all three sepals. The petals are lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long, about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide and turned strongly downwards. The labellum is diamond-shaped, 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 6–7.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide with a narrow, shiny black, ant-like callus covering most of its upper surface. Flowering occurs from August to November.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Chiloglottis formicifera was first formally described in 1877 by Robert D. FitzGerald and the description was published in his book Australian Orchids from a specimen collected "in a gully at the Kurrajong".[4] The specific epithet (formicifera) is derived from the Latin word formica meaning "ant"[5]: 93  with the suffix -fera meaning "bear", "carry" or "have".[5]: 187 

Distribution and habitat

The common ant orchid grows in moist places in forest between the Northern Tablelands and Nowra.[2][3] There is a single historical record from Kaitaia in New Zealand.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Chiloglottis formicifera". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. ^ a b c Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 141. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. ^ a b Jones, David L. "Chiloglottis formicifera". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Chiloglottis formicifera". APNI. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  5. ^ a b Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  6. ^ de Lange, Peter J. "Chiloglottis formicifera". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 20 April 2018.