''Anoectochilus yatesiae'', commonly known as the marbled jewel orchid, is a species of

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to northern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. It has up to six dark green leaves with a network of silvery veins and up to four hairy brownish and white flowers.

Description

''Anoectochilus yatesiae'' is a

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

ous,

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

with up to six leaves forming a rosette on the end of its fleshy

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

. The leaves are dark green, broadly egg-shaped to heart-shaped with a network of silvery veins, long and wide. Up to four brownish flowers long and wide are borne on a flowering stem tall. The dorsal sepal is long, wide and with the

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s, forms a hood over the

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

. The lateral sepals are a similar length to the dorsal sepal but narrower and spread apart from each other. The

s are white, glabrous, long and about wide. The labellum is upright, white, long, wide and has about twelve crooked white hairs long on the narrow section. The nectary spur is about long. Flowering occurs from July to September.

Taxonomy and naming

''Anoectochilus yatesiae'' was first formally described in 1907 by Frederick Manson Bailey from specimens collected near Kuranda and the description was published in the ''

Queensland Agricultural Journal The ''Queensland Agricultural Journal'' was a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (formerly the Department of Agriculture and Stock). It was established in 1897, with William Alexander Jen ...

''. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''yatesiae'') honours "Mrs. Arthur Yates", one of the collectors of the

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to a ...

Distribution and habitat

The marbled jewel orchid grows in highland rainforest between the Bloomfield River and Paluma Range National Park.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15432358 yatesiae Orchids of Queensland Endemic orchids of Australia Plants described in 1907 Taxa named by Frederick Manson Bailey