''Gastrodia queenslandica'', commonly known as rainforest bells, is a leafless terrestrial

mycotrophic A mycotroph is a plant that gets all or part of its carbon, water, or nutrient supply through symbiotic association with fungi. The term can refer to plants that engage in either of two distinct symbioses with fungi: *Many mycotrophs have a mut ...

orchid in the family Orchidaceae. It has one or two small, yellowish brown, tube-shaped flowers on a thin, brittle flowering stem and grows in rainforest in tropical north Queensland, Australia.

Description

''Gastrodia queenslandica'' is a leafless terrestrial, mycotrophic

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 ...

that has a thin, fleshy, brittle, light brown flowering stem bearing one or two yellowish brown, tube-shaped flowers that are orange-coloured inside. The sepals and

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 joined, forming a tube about long with spreading tips. The tube is rough on the outside and orange-coloured and smooth inside. The labellum is about long, wide and completely enclosed in the tube. Flowering occurs from November to January.

Taxonomy and naming

''Gastrodia queenslandica'' was first formally described in 1964 by Alick William Dockrill who published the description in ''The North Queensland Naturalist''. In 2004, David Jones and Mark Clements changed the name to ''Demorchis queenslandica'' but the change has not been accepted by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.

Distribution and habitat

Rainforest bells grows in near coastal rainforest between the

Russell River The Russell River is a river in Far North Queensland, Australia. The -long river flows towards the Coral Sea and is located approximately south of . Location and features The Russell River rises in the Wooroonooran National Park sourced fr ...

and the

McIlwraith Range The McIlwraith Range is a rugged, dissected granite plateau on Cape York Peninsula of Far North Queensland, Australia. Part of the Great Dividing Range, the McIlwraith Range covers about and lies about east of the town of Coen, and nor ...

but is rarely seen.

Conservation

This orchid is classed as "near threatened" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15476565 queenslandica Plants described in 1964 Terrestrial orchids Orchids of Queensland