Cyrtostylis tenuissima

Cyrtostylis tenuissima, commonly known as dwarf gnat orchid[2] or dwarf mosquito orchid,[3] is a species of orchid endemic to Western Australia. It usually has a single more or less round leaf and a flowering spike with up to fourteen small, green flowers with a greenish brown to pinkish, wedge-shaped labellum.

Dwarf gnat orchid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Cyrtostylis
Species:
C. tenuissima
Binomial name
Cyrtostylis tenuissima
Synonyms[1]

Description

Cyrtostylis tenuissima is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with a single more or less round leaf 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) wide. The leaf is green on both surfaces. Between two and fifteen green flowers about 5 mm (0.2 in) long and 3 mm (0.1 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem 50–200 mm (2–8 in) high. The dorsal sepal is erect and curved forward, 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 1–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) wide. The lateral sepals are a similar size to the lateral sepals, turn downwards and often cross over each other. The petals are 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long, about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide and spread apart from each other. The labellum is wedge-shaped with a pointed tip, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long, about 3 mm (0.12 in) wide and slopes downwards. Flowering occurs from September to November.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

The dwarf gnat orchid was first formally described in 1933 by William Henry Nicholls and Bede Goadby who gave it the name Acianthus tenuissimus. The description was published in The Victorian Naturalist from a specimen collected near Bayswater.[6][7] In 1987 David Jones and Mark Clements changed the name to Cyrtostylis tenuissima.[8] The specific epithet (tenuissima) is the superlative form of the Latin word tenuis meaning "thin", hence "thinnest".[9]

Distribution and habitat

The dwarf gnat orchid grows under shrubs and grasstrees around winter-wet areas between Perth and Albany with disjunct populations near Esperance.[2][4][10]

Conservation

Cyrtostylis tenuissima is listed as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[10]

References
  1. "Cyrtostylis tenuissima". 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. 164. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 273. ISBN 9780646562322.
  4. 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. 197. ISBN 9780980348149.
  5. Archer, William. "Dwarf mosquito orchid - Cyrtostylis tenuissima". Esperance Wildflowers. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  6. "Acianthus tenuissimus". APNI. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  7. Nicholls, William H.; Goadby, Bede T. (1933). "A new terrestrial Australian orchid". The Victorian Naturalist. 50: 22. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  8. "Cyrtostylis tenuissima". APNI. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  9. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 792.
  10. "Cyrtostylis tenuissima". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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