Gastrodia vescula
| Small potato orchid | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Tribe: | Gastrodieae |
| Genus: | Gastrodia |
| Species: | G. vescula
|
| Binomial name | |
| Gastrodia vescula | |
Gastrodia vescula, commonly known as small potato orchid,[2] is a leafless terrestrial mycotrophic orchid in the family Orchidaceae. It has a very thin, brittle, light brown flowering stem with up to three pale brown flowers that are white on the inside. It is only known from a small area near the border between South Australia and Victoria.
Description[edit]
Gastrodia vescula is a leafless terrestrial, mycotrophic herb that has a very thin, brittle pale brown flowering stem 50–200 cm (20–80 in) tall with up to three, mostly drooping, smooth light brown flowers. The sepals and petals are joined, forming a tube about 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long and white inside with the lobes about 2 mm (0.08 in) long. The labellum is about 9–11 mm (0.35–0.43 in) long, about 3 mm (0.12 in) wide with three lobes and completely enclosed in the tube. Flowering occurs from November to December.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Gastrodia vescula was first formally described in 1991 by David Jones from a specimen collected in a nature reserve near Mount Gambier in 1988. The description was published in Australian Orchid Research.[5] The specific epithet (vescula) is a Latin word meaning "little" or "trifling"[6] referring to the habit of this orchid.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
The small potato orchid is only known from small area in the far southeast of South Australia and far western Victoria where it grows in dense, heathy forest.[2][3][4]
References[edit]
- ^ "Gastrodia vescula". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ 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. 372. ISBN 1877069124.
- ^ a b c Jones, David L. (1991). "New taxa of Australian Orchidaceae". Australian Orchid Research. 2: 65.
- ^ a b Stajsic, Val. "Gastrodia vescula". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ "Gastrodia vescula". APNI. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
- ^ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 814.