Calochilus stramenicola

Calochilus stramenicola, commonly known as the wandoo beard orchid,[2] is a species of orchid endemic to Western Australia. It has a single smooth, erect leaf and up to seven dull greenish flowers with reddish brown or purplish stripes. The labellum has a purplish beard with a ridge between two "eye" spots.

Wandoo beard orchid
Calochilus stramenicola in Wandoo National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Calochilus
Species:
C. stramenicola
Binomial name
Calochilus stramenicola

Description

Calochilus stramenicola is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single smooth erect, linear to lance-shaped, dark green leaf, 80–200 mm (3–8 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide and which is fully developed when the first flower opens. Up to seven dull greenish flowers with reddish brown or purplish stripes are borne on a flowering stem 120–420 mm (5–20 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide and the lateral sepals are a similar length but narrower. The petals are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. The labellum is flat, 12–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long and 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide with short, reddish purple calli near its base. The middle section of the labellum has thin hairs up to 3 mm (0.1 in) long and the tip has a glandular "tail" 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long and about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. The column has two dark coloured "eyes" joined by a ridge. Flowering occurs in September and October.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Calochilus stramenicola was first formally described in 2006 by David Jones and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research.[6] The specific epithet (stramenicola) is derived from the Latin word stramen meaning "straw", "litter" or "any material for bedding down"[7]:133 with the suffix -cola meaning "dweller",[7]:217 referring to the preference of this species for growing in accumulations of litter.[5]

Distribution and habitat

The wandoo beard orchid grows in thick accumulations of litter in wandoo woodland. It is found in a narrow band between Narrogin and Wannamal in the Avon Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions.[2][5][8]

References
  1. "Calochilus stramenicola". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 263. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. Brown, Andrew; Dixon, Kingsley; French, Christopher; Brockman, Garry (2013). Field guide to the orchids of Western Australia : the definitive guide to the native orchids of Western Australia. Simon Nevill Publications. p. 166. ISBN 9780980348149.
  4. Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 330. ISBN 9780646562322.
  5. Jones, David L. (2006). "New taxa of Australian Orchidaceae". Australian Orchid Research. 5: 70–71.
  6. "Calochilus stramenicola". APNI. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  8. "Calochilus stramenicola". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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