Bulbophyllum argyropus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Silver strand orchid | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Genus: | Bulbophyllum |
| Species: | B. argyropus |
| Binomial name | |
| Bulbophyllum argyropus | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Bulbophyllum argyropus, commonly known as the silver strand orchid,[2] is a species of epiphytic or sometimes lithophytic orchid that is endemic to eastern Australia, including Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. It has crowded pseudobulbs, tough, dark green leaves and up to four small whitish to yellowish flowers with an orange labellum.
Bulbophyllum argyropus is an epiphytic, rarely an lithophytic herb with crowded, warty and furrowed pseudobulbs 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide. Young pseudobulbs are covered with papery white bracts. There is a single tough, dark green leaf, 20–45 mm (0.8–2 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide on each pseudobulb. Up to five whitish or yellowish flowers 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and about 4 mm (0.16 in) wide are arranged on a warty, thread-like flowering stem 15–30 mm (0.59–1.2 in) long. The sepals are about 4 mm (0.2 in) long and 1 mm (0.039 in) wide, the lateral sepals are 14–18 mm (0.55–0.71 in) long, the petals about 1 mm (0.039 in) long and wide. The labellum is orange, about 3 mm (0.12 in) long and 2 mm (0.079 in) wide curved and fleshy. Flowering occurs between August and December.[2][3][4][5]