Eriochilus helonomos

Eriochilus helonomos, commonly known as the swamp bunny orchid,[2] is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It has a single pointed leaf and usually a single white or cream-coloured flower with reddish brown markings. A relatively common species, it usually grows in swampy places. It is distinguished from other bunny orchids by the arrangement of its petals.

Swamp bunny orchid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Eriochilus
Species:
E. helonomos
Binomial name
Eriochilus helonomos

Description

Eriochilus helonomos is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single, egg-shaped glabrous leaf with a pointed tip, 7–17 mm (0.3–0.7 in) long and 2–10 mm (0.08–0.4 in) wide. Usually only a single flower but sometimes as many as three white or cream-coloured flowers about 10 mm (0.4 in) long and wide are borne on a stem, 50–150 mm (2–6 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. The lateral sepals are 7–15 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide and have pink markings on their underside. The petals have brownish red edges and are 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. Unlike others in the genus the petals are pressed against the sides of the column. The labellum is 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long, 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide and curves downwards. It has scattered clusters of dark red and white hairs. Flowering occurs from April to July.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Eriochilus helonomos was first formally described in 2006 by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown from a specimen collected near Denmark and the description was published in Nuytsia.[6] The specific epithet (helonomos) is derived from an Ancient Greek word meaning "living in marshes",[7] referring to the usual habitat of this species.[3]

Distribution and habitat

The swamp bunny orchid grows in swampy places and in seepage areas on granite outcrops. It is found between Dongara and Cape Riche.[3][4][5][8]

References
  1. "Eriochilus helonomos". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 276. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. Hopper, Stephen; Brown, Andrew Phillip (2006). "New and reinstated taxa in Eriochilus" (PDF). Nuytsia. 16 (1): 45–47. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  4. Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 259. ISBN 9780980296457.
  5. Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 229. ISBN 9780646562322.
  6. "Eriochilus helonomos". APNI. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 514.
  8. "Eriochilus helonomos". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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