Fleshy flea orchid
Illustration by Lewis Roberts
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Schoenorchis
Species:
S. sarcophylla
Binomial name
Schoenorchis sarcophylla

Schoenorchis sarcophylla, commonly known as the fleshy flea orchid,[2] is a small epiphytic orchid with many thin roots, between three and seven crowded, dark green leaves and up to thirty crowded, tube-shaped white flowers. It is found in New Guinea and tropical North Queensland.

Description

Schoenorchis sarcophylla is a small epiphytic herb with many thin roots, stems 30–50 mm (1–2 in) long and between three and seven crowded, fleshy, channelled dark green, linear to narrow elliptic leaves 20–30 mm (0.79–1.2 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.2–0.2 in) wide. Between five and thirty crowded, tube-shaped white flowers, about 3 mm (0.12 in) long and wide are crowded on a stiff flowering stem 20–40 mm (0.8–2 in) long. The sepals are 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long and 1 mm (0.039 in) wide. The petals are smaller than, and hidden by the sepals. The labellum is about 3 mm (0.1 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide with three small lobes, the middle lobe short and fleshy with an inflated spur. Flowering occurs between August and September.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Schoenorchis sarcophylla was first formally described in 1913 by Rudolf Schlechter and the description was published in Repertorium specierum novarum regni vegetabilis. Beihefte.[1][5] The specific epithet (sarcophylla) is derived from the ancient Greek words sarx, genitive sarkos (σάρξ, genitive σαρκός) meaning "flesh" and phyllon (φύλλον) meaning "leaf".[6]

Distribution and habitat

The fleshy flea orchid grows on trees in forest at altitudes between 600 and 1,800 m (2,000 and 5,900 ft). It is found in New Guinea and in the Iron and McIlwraith Ranges in Queensland.[1][2][4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Sarcochilus sarcophylla". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. 1 2 3 Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 453. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. ↑ D.L.Jones; T.Hopley; S.M.Duffy (2010). "Factsheet - Schoenorchis sarcophylla". Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Schoenorchis sarcophylla". Orchids of New Guinea. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  5. ↑ Schlechter, Rudolf (1914). Repertorium specierum novarum regni vegetabilis. Beihefte. Berlin. p. 987. Retrieved 6 January 2019.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ↑ Backer, C.A. (1936). Verklarend woordenboek der wetenschappelijke namen van de in Nederland en Nederlandsch-Indië in het wild groeiende en in tuinen en parken gekweekte varens en hoogere planten (Edition Nicoline van der Sijs).
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