Sarcochilus
Illustration of Sarcochilus fitzgeraldii from Fitzgerald's Australian Orchids[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Vandeae
Subtribe: Aeridinae
Genus: Sarcochilus
R.Br.[2]
Type species
Sarcochilus falcatus
Synonyms[2]
  • Gunnia Lindl.
  • Monanthochilus (Schltr.) R.Rice
  • Parasarcochilus Dockrill

Sarcochilus, commonly known as butterfly orchids or fairy bells[4] is a genus of about twenty species of flowering plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are epiphytes or lithophytes and usually have short stems, leaves arranged in two rows, and flowers arranged along unbranched flowering stems. Most species are endemic to Australia but some are found in New Guinea and New Caledonia.

Description

Orchids in the genus Sarcochilus are epiphytic or lithophytic monopodial herbs with fibrous stems and long, relatively broad leaves folded lengthwise and arranged in two ranks. The flowers are scented, resupinate and arranged on an unbranched flowering stem, each flower on a short thin stalk. The sepals and petals are free from and similar to each other except that the petals are usually smaller than the sepals. The labellum is hinged to the column and has three lobes. The sides lobes are relatively large and upright, sometimes curving inwards. The structure of the middle lobe varies between species.[4][5][6][7]

Taxonomy and naming

The genus Sarcochilus was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.[3][8] The name Sarcochilus is derived from the Ancient Greek words sarx meaning "flesh"[9]: 47  and cheilos meaning "lip",[9]: 200  referring to the fleshy labellum of these orchids.[5]

The genus Sarcochilus has been shown to be non-monophyletic.[10]

Species

The following is a list of Sarcochilus species recognised by Plants of the World Online as of March 2023. The common names in the list below are those used by David Jones.[4][11]

ImageNameCommon NameDistributionElevation (m)
Sarcochilus argochilus D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem., 2006 northern lawyer orchidQueensland400–1,000 metres (1,300–3,300 ft)
Sarcochilus australis (Lindl.) Rchb.f. in Walp., 1863 butterfly orchid, Gunn's tree orchidNew South Wales through south-eastern Victoria to northern Tasmania.0–1,000 metres (0–3,281 ft)
Sarcochilus borealis (Nicholls) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem., 1989 small lawyer orchidNew South Wales and Queensland800–1,000 metres (2,600–3,300 ft)
Sarcochilus ceciliae F.Muell., 1865 fairy bellsQueensland and New South Wales150–900 metres (490–2,950 ft)
Sarcochilus chrysanthus Schltr., 1913 New Guinea1,000–2,400 metres (3,300–7,900 ft)
Sarcochilus dilatatus F.Muell., 1859 brown butterfly orchidQueensland and New South Wales0–400 metres (0–1,312 ft)
Sarcochilus falcatus R.Br., 1810 orange blossom orchidQueensland, New South Wales and Victoria100–1,400 metres (330–4,590 ft)
Sarcochilus fitzgeraldii F.Muell., 1870 ravine orchidQueensland and New South Wales500–800 metres (1,600–2,600 ft)
Sarcochilus gildasii N.Hallé, 1986 New Caledonia
Sarcochilus hartmannii F.Muell., 1874 large boulder orchideastern Australia0–1,000 metres (0–3,281 ft)
Sarcochilus hillii (F.Muell.) F.Muell, 1860 myrtle bellsAustralia and New Caledonia0–800 metres (0–2,625 ft)
Sarcochilus hirticalcar (Dockrill) M.A.Clem. & B.J.Wallace, 1998 harlequin orchidQueensland300–650 metres (980–2,130 ft)
Sarcochilus iboensis Schltr., 1913 New Guinea1,000 metres (3,300 ft)
Sarcochilus koghiensis Schltr., 1911 New Caledonia
Sarcochilus odoratus Schltr., 1913New Guinea200 metres (660 ft)
Sarcochilus parviflorus Lindl., 1838 southern lawyer orchid, green tree orchidNew South Wales600 metres (2,000 ft)
Sarcochilus rarus Schltr., 1906New Caledonia
Sarcochilus serrulatus D.L.Jones, 1972banded butterfly orchidQueensland900–600 metres (3,000–2,000 ft)
Sarcochilus spathulatus R.S.Rogers, 1927small butterfly orchidQueensland and New South Wales0–600 metres (0–1,969 ft)
Sarcochilus thycola (N.Hallé) M.A.Clem., D.L.Jones & D.P.Banks, 2019New Caledonia
Sarcochilus tricalliatus (Rupp) Rupp, 1951Queensland200–800 metres (660–2,620 ft)
Sarcochilus uniflorus Schltr., 1913New Guinea1,000–2,200 metres (3,300–7,200 ft)
Sarcochilus weinthalii F.M.Bailey, 1903blotched butterfly orchidQueensland and New South Wales300–700 metres (980–2,300 ft)

Use in horticulture

The term "sarco" is often used to refer to a number of orchid genera, including Sarcochilus. Most species of Sarcochilus are easily grown but some are very difficult. They need bright light, high humidity and free air movement.[4][12]

References

  1. ↑ Fitzgerald, Robert D. (1882). Australian Orchids. Sydney: Government Printer. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Sarcochilus". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Sarcochilus". APNI. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 447–452. ISBN 1877069124.
  5. 1 2 D.L.Jones; T.Hopley; S.M.Duffy (2010). "Sarcochilus". Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  6. ↑ Jeanes, Jeff. "Sarcochilus". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  7. ↑ Weston, Peter H. "Sarcochilus". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  8. ↑ Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. London. p. 332. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  9. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  10. ↑ Topik Hidayat, Tomohisa Yukawa and Motomi Ito (August 2005). "Molecular phylogenetics of subtribe Aeridinae (Orchidaceae): insights from plastid matK and nuclear ribosomal ITS sequences". Journal of Plant Research. 118 (4): 271–284. doi:10.1007/s10265-005-0217-3. PMID 16025359. S2CID 29420438.
  11. ↑ "Sarcochilus". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  12. ↑ Roper, Neville. "Sarcochilus". The Orchid Society of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  • Upton, Walter T. (1992). Sarcochilus Orchids of Australia. Double U Orchids, Balmain. pp. 119 p. ISBN 0-646-09734-2.
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