Eriochilus dilatatus subsp. brevifolius
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| Blunt-leaved bunny orchid | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Eriochilus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | E. d. subsp. brevifolius |
| Trinomial name | |
| Eriochilus dilatatus subsp. brevifolius | |
| Synonyms[1][2] | |
|
Eriochilus dilatatus var. brevifolius Benth. | |
Eriochilus dilatatus subsp. brevifolius, commonly known as the blunt-leaved bunny orchid,[3] is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It has a single small, smooth leaf with wavy edges and a pale red lower surface, and up to three greenish and white flowers with red or mauve markings. It is distinguished from the other subspecies by the colour of the lower surface of its leaf and by its later flowering period.
Eriochilus dilatatus subsp. brevifolius is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single smooth leaf, 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long, 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide. The leaf has a pale red lower surface and wavy edges. Up to three flowers 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long and 9–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem 50–250 mm (2–10 in) tall. The flowers are greenish with reddish markings, except for the lateral sepals which are white. The labellum is prominently down-curved and has three lobes with scattered clusters of red and white hairs. Flowering occurs from March to June.[1][3][4]
Taxonomy and naming
The blunt-leaved bunny orchid was first formally described in 2006 by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown from a specimen collected near the Murchison River.[2] The subspecies epithet (brevifolius) is derived from the Latin words brevis meaning "short"[5]: 708 and folium meaning "leaf".[5]: 466