''Chiloglottis anaticeps'', commonly known as the duck's-head wasp orchid or bird 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 ...

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 the New England Tableland of New South Wales. It has two narrow leaves and a single greenish brown or reddish flower with a shiny, dark green

callus A callus is an area of thickened and sometimes hardened skin that forms as a response to repeated friction, pressure, or other irritation. Since repeated contact is required, calluses are most often found on the feet and hands, but they may o ...

occupying most of the top of the labellum. One end of the callus looks like a tiny duck's head.

Description

''Chiloglottis anaticeps'' is a terrestrial,

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 ...

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

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 two narrow elliptic to egg-shaped leaves long and wide on a petiole long. A single green to reddish brown flower long and wide is borne on a flowering stem high. The

dorsal Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to: * Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism * Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage * Dorsal co ...

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

is long, about wide with a narrow

glandular In animals, a gland is a group of cells in an animal's body that synthesizes substances (such as hormones) for release into the bloodstream (endocrine gland) or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine gland). Structure De ...

tip a further long. The

lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may refer to: Healthcare *Lateral (anatomy), an anatomical direction *Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle *Lateral release (surgery), a surgical procedure on the side of a kneecap Phonetics *Lateral cons ...

sepals are linear, long, about wide and curve downwards with a glandular tip long. 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 are lance-shaped, long, about wide and pressed against the sides of the

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

. The labellum is held horizontally, long and wide. Most of the upper surface of the labellum is covered with a callus of prominent, club-shaped, stalked glands, the one nearest the base of the labellum about long and shaped like a tiny duck's head. 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. ...

is green with red spots on the front, long, about wide with broad wings. Flowering occurs from December to February.

Taxonomy and naming

''Chiloglottis anaticeps'' was first formally described in 1991 by David Jones from a specimen collected west of Wauchope and the description was published in ''Australian Orchid Research''. 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 ...

(''anaticeps'') means "duck-headed" and refers to the stalked gland on the labellum.

Distribution and habitat

The duck's-head wasp orchid grows in tall forest and near granite outcrops in the

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

, Werrikimbe and

Cathedral Rock National Park Cathedral Rock is a national park west of Waterfall Way in New South Wales, Australia, east of Armidale and about north of Sydney. This park is lying between the Guy Fawkes River and Macleay Range, and is about six kilometres west of Ebor, ...

Conservation

''Chiloglottis anaticeps'' is listed as "endangered" under the New South Wales Government '' Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15495260 anaticeps Orchids of New South Wales Plants described in 1991