''Oberonia'', commonly known as fairy orchids,
is a
genus of
flowering plants in the
family Orchidaceae. Orchids in this genus are
epiphytic
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
or
lithophytic
Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are als ...
plants with the leaves arranged fan-like, overlapping at the base and spreading near the tips. Large numbers of tiny, short-lived, cup-shaped,
non-resupinate flowers are arranged on an arching flowering stem that emerges from the base of the uppermost leaf. There are about 270 species occurring from
tropical and southern
Africa to the
Pacific.
Description
Orchids in the genus ''Oberonia'' are epiphytic or lithophytic,
sympodial herbs
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 the leaves in an unusual fan-like arrangement, in two overlapping rows near the base before spreading. A large number of tiny, non-resupinate, short-lived flowers are arranged in
whorls
A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs).
Whorls in nature
File:Photograph and axial plane floral d ...
or spirals along an arching flowering stem. 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 all more or less similar to and free from each other although the petals are narrower than the sepals. The
labellum is rigidly fixed to the base of 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. ...
and usually has three lobes.
Taxonomy and naming
The genus ''Oberonia'' was first formally described in 1830 by
John Lindley
John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.
Early years
Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...
who published the description in ''The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants''.
The name ''Oberonia'' is a reference to
Oberon, the king of the fairies, referring to the tiny flowers of these orchids and to their unusual arrangement on the flowering stems.
Distribution
Orchids in the genus ''Oberonia'' are native to tropical
Africa, southern
Asia including
India,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
Indochina,
Indonesia and the
Philippines) and to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and various islands of the
Pacific and
Indian Oceans.
See also
*
List of ''Oberonia'' species
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1300361
Malaxideae genera
Orchids of Africa
Orchids of China
Orchids of Indonesia
Orchids of Australia
Orchids of New Caledonia