Eriochilus petricola

Eriochilus petricola is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a slender ground orchid with a single leaf and up to three small, white to pale pink flowers and grows near rock ledges.

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

Description

Eriochilus petricola is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber. It has a single, egg-shaped to almost round, dark green leaf 8–16 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long and 7–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) wide with prominent veins and usually a hairy upper surface. Up to three white to pale pink flowers are borne on a slender spike up to 100 mm (4 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The lateral sepals are linear to thread-like, 9–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long and 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.14 in) wide. The petals are 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and about 0.6 mm (0.02 in) wide. The labellum is 5–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide and fleshy with tufts of red bristles. Flowering occurs from March to May.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Eriochilus petricola was first formally described in 2004 by David Jones and Mark Clements and the description was published in The Orchadian.[4] The specific epithet (petricola) is derived from the Ancient Greek words petra meaning "rock" or "shelf or ledge of rock"[5]:757 and -cola meaning "dweller"[5]:217

Distribution and habitat

This orchid grows in shallow, sandy soil on and near rock ledges between Nowra, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and inland to the Blue Mountains.[2][3]

References
  1. "Eriochilus petricola". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. Pellow, Belinda J.; Henwood, Murray J.; Carolin, Roger C. (2009). Flora of the Sydney region : a complete revision (5th ed.). Sydney: Sydney University Press. p. 536. ISBN 9781920899301. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  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. 277. ISBN 1877069124.
  4. "Eriochilus petricola". APNI. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  5. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
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