''Genoplesium morrisii'', commonly known as the bearded midge orchid and known as ''Corunastylis morrisii'' in Australia, is a small terrestrial orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single thin leaf fused to the flowering stem and up to fifteen small, dark purplish-black or green and purple flowers.

Description

''Genoplesium morrisii'' is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous,

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 an underground tuber and a single thin leaf long and fused to the flowering stem with the free part long. Between three and fifteen dark purplish-black or green and purple flowers are crowded along a flowering stem tall. The flowers are about long and wide and are inverted so that the labellum is above 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. ...

rather than below it. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, long and about wide with dark purpish-black stripes. The lateral sepals are linear to lance-shaped, about long, wide and spread apart from each other. 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 to egg-shaped, about long and wide with a pointed tip. The labellum is lance-shaped, to narrow egg-shaped, about long, wide and vibrates in the slightest breeze. The sides of the labellum are lines with many coarse, spreading

cilia The cilium, plural cilia (), is a membrane-bound organelle found on most types of eukaryotic cell, and certain microorganisms known as ciliates. Cilia are absent in bacteria and archaea. The cilium has the shape of a slender threadlike projecti ...

and there is a narrow oblong callus in the centre of the labellum and extending about halfway to its tip. Flowering occurs between January and April.

Taxonomy and naming

The bearded midge orchid was first formally described in 1931 by

William Henry Nicholls William Henry Nicholls (23 July 1885 – 10 March 1951) was an Australian amateur botanist, authority on, and collector of Australian orchids. An accomplished photographer and watercolourist, he contributed almost 100 articles on orchids to ''The ...

who gave it the name ''Prasophyllum morrisii'' and published the description in ''

The Victorian Naturalist ''The Victorian Naturalist'' is a bimonthly scientific journal covering natural history, especially of Australia. It is published by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria and is received as part of the membership subscription of that club. From ...

''. In 1989, David Jones and Mark Clements changed the name to ''Genoplesium morrisii'' and in 2002 changed the name again to ''Corunastylis morrisii''. 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 ...

(''morrisii'') honours "Mr. P.F. Morris of the National Herbarium, whose name I have bestowed upon this dainty little species".

Distribution and habitat

''Genoplesium morrisii'' grows in forest, woodland and heath and is widespread and common in the southern half of Victoria. It is rarely encountered in Tasmania and possibly grows in the far south-east of New South Wales.

Conservation

''Corunastylis morrisii'' is classed as "Endangered" under the Tasmanian '' Threatened Species Protection Act 1995''. It is only known from a few near-coastal areas in the north and south where fewer than 100 mature plants are thought to survive. The main threats to the species in Tasmania are land clearing, inappropriate fire regimes and inappropriate disturbance.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q15463355 morrisii Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of New South Wales Orchids of Tasmania Orchids of Victoria (state) Plants described in 1931