Microtis pulchella

Microtis pulchella, commonly known as the beautiful mignonette orchid[2] or beautiful onion orchid,[3] is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single hollow, onion-like leaf and up to twenty five white, thinly textured flowers with a slight perfume. It only flowers after fire and only sometimes produces short, thread-like leaves in the absence of fire.

Beautiful mignonette orchid

Priority Four — Rare Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Microtis
Species:
M. pulchella
Binomial name
Microtis pulchella
Synonyms[1]
  • Microtis gymnadenioides Diels

Description

Microtis pulchella is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single erect, smooth, tubular leaf 60–250 mm (2–10 in) long and 3–8 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide. Between five and twenty five thinly textured, white flowers are arranged along a flowering stem 70–140 mm (3–6 in) long, reaching to a height of 150–300 mm (6–10 in). The flowers are lightly perfumed, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and wide and droop as they age. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, 2.5–3 mm (0.098–0.12 in) long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide and flat or slightly concave. The lateral sepals are lance-shaped to egg-shaped, 2–2.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long, about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide and spread apart. The petals are lance-shaped, about 2 mm (0.08 in) long, 1 mm (0.04 in) wide and curved. The labellum is more or less oval, 3–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long, 1–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) wide with slightly wavy or toothed edges. There are two raised, dark green calli in the centre of the labellum. Flowering occurs from November to January but only after fire the previous summer. Non-flowering plants sometimes produce a thread-like leaf 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long.[2][4][3][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Microtis pulchella was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.[6][7] The specific epithet (pulchella) is a Latin word meaning "beautiful",[8] referring to the flowers of this orchid.[2]

Distribution and habitat

The beautiful mignonette orchid grows in peaty swamps, often forming large colonies between Albany and Augusta.[2][3][4]

Conservation

Microtis alba is classified as "Priority Four" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife,[9] meaning that is rare or near threatened.[10]

References
  1. "Microtis pulchella". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 290–291. ISBN 9780980296457.
  3. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 226–227. ISBN 1877069124.
  4. Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 336. ISBN 9780646562322.
  5. Bates, Robert J. (1984). "The genus Microtis R.Br. (Orchidaceae): A taxonomic revision with notes on biology" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. 7 (1): 63–64. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  6. "Microtis pulchella". APNI. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  7. Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae. London. p. 321. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  8. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 132.
  9. "Microtis pulchella". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  10. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
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