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Bulbophyllum wolfei

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fleshy snake 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: Bulbophyllum
Species:
B. wolfei
Binomial name
Bulbophyllum wolfei
Synonyms[1]

Serpenticaulis wolfei (B.Gray & D.L.Jones) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones

Bulbophyllum wolfei, commonly known as the fleshy snake orchid,[2] is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid with thin, creeping rhizomes, and flattened pseudobulbs each with a single thick, fleshy, dark green leaf and a single cream-coloured flower with dark red stripes. It mostly grows on rainforest trees in tropical North Queensland.

Description

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Bulbophyllum wolfei is an epiphytic or lithophytic herb that has thin, creeping rhizomes pressed against the surface on which it grows and oval-shaped pseudobulbs 4–9 mm (0.16–0.35 in) long, 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide and pressed against the rhizome. Each pseudobulb has a thick, fleshy, dark green, oblong to oval leaf 10–25 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide. A single resupinate, cream-coloured flower with prominent, dark red stripes, 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long and wide is borne on a thread-like flowering stem 20–30 mm (0.79–1.2 in) long. The sepals are about 6 mm (0.24 in) long, 2 mm (0.079 in) wide and the petals are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide with a red stripe along the midline. The labellum is 4.5–5 mm (0.18–0.20 in) long, 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, fleshy and curved with a groove along its midline. Flowering occurs from April to September.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

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Bulbophyllum wolfei was first formally described in 1991 by Bruce Gray and David Jones and the description was published in Austrobaileya.[5] The specific epithet (wolfei) honours "Mr T.J. (Tom) Wolfe, of Atherton, Queensland" for his assistance with orchid research.[3]

Distribution and habitat

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The fleshy snake orchid grows on trees and rocks in rainforest between the Mount Carbine Tableland and Daintree National Park in Queensland at altitudes from 900 to 1,200 m (3,000 to 3,900 ft).

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bulbophyllum wolfei". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. ^ a b Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 432–433. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. ^ a b Gray, Bruce; Jones, David L. (1991). "A new species of Bulbophyllum Thouars Section Micromonanthe (Orchidaceae) from north-eastern Queensland". Austrobaileya. 3 (3): 331–333.
  4. ^ D.L.Jones; T.Hopley; S.M.Duffy (2010). "Factsheet - Serpenticaulis wolfei". Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Bulbophyllum wolfei". APNI. Retrieved 14 December 2018.