Acianthus ledwardii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Acianthus
Species:
†A. ledwardii
Binomial name
†Acianthus ledwardii

Acianthus ledwardii was a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and was endemic to Queensland in Australia but is now presumed extinct. It was a terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and between 2 and 6 transparent, reddish brown flowers.

Description

Acianthus ledwardii was a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, sympodial herb with a single heart-shaped, glabrous, pale green leaf that was reddish-purple on its lower surface. Each plant had between 2 and 6 deep purplish or reddish brown flowers on a thin raceme up to 50 mm (2.0 in) tall. The flowers were similar to those of the more common Acianthus fornicatus, but the dorsal sepal narrowed abruptly rather than gradually tapered, the lateral sepals had three points on the tip, the petals were broader than those of A. fornicatus, and the labellum was convex on the lower surface, rather than concave.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Acianthus ledwardii was first formally described in 1938 by Herman Rupp and the description was published in The Queensland Naturalist from specimens collected by "Dr. C.P. Ledward" near Burleigh Heads in 1934.[3][4]

Distribution

This orchid is only known from collections made in 1934 and 1938 from Burleigh Heads.[2]

Conservation

Acianthus ledwardii is listed as "extinct" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Acianthus ledwardii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "SPRAT Profile Acianthus ledwardii". Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 Rupp, Herman (1938). "A new orchid for south Queensland Acianthus Ledwardii, sp. nov". The Queensland Naturalist. 10 (6): 113–114. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Acianthus ledwardii". APNI. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
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