Cheirostylis ovata
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Banded fleshy jewel orchid | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Cranichideae |
| Subtribe: | Goodyerinae |
| Genus: | Cheirostylis |
| Species: | C. ovata |
| Binomial name | |
| Cheirostylis ovata | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Cheirostylis ovata, commonly known as the banded fleshy jewel orchid,[2][3] is a species of orchid that is endemic Queensland where it grows in rainforest and moist woodland. It has between three and seven egg-shaped leaves and up to six small white flowers with two lobes on the end of the labellum.
Cheirostylis ovata is a tuberous, perennial herb with a rosette of between three and seven leaves, 2.5–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) wide lying flat on the ground. Up to six resupinate white flowers, 10–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long and 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem 100–250 mm (4–10 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long, about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide and fused with the petals and with the lower half of the lateral sepals to form a tube. The lateral sepals are a similar size to the dorsal sepal and the petals are the same length but about half as wide. The labellum is 12–14 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and about 9 mm (0.4 in) wide, its tip divided into two lobes with broad teeth on the edges. Flowering occurs from August to October.[2][3][4]