''Robiquetia gracilistipes'', commonly known as the large pouched orchid, is an

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 ...

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 ...

orchid from the family Orchidaceae that forms large, hanging, straggly clumps. It has long, thick, roots, a single stem, many thick, leathery leaves and up to forty cream-coloured, pale green or brownish flowers with red spots and a three-lobed labellum. It grows on trees and rocks in rainforest, usually in bright light. It is found in Malesia including New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and tropical North Queensland, Australia.

Description

''Robiquetia gracilistipes'' is an epiphytic or lithophytic

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 forms large, straggly hanging clumps. It has thick roots and a pendulous stem, long and about thick. There are many thick, leathery leaves long and wide. Between ten and forty

resupinate Resupination is derived from the Latin word ''resupinus'', meaning "bent back with the face upward" or "on the back". "Resupination" is the noun form of the adjective "resupine" which means "being upside-down, supine or facing upward". The word " ...

, cup-shaped, cream-coloured, pale green or brownish flowers with red spots are crowded on a pendulous flowering stem long. The flowers are long, and are fragrant. 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 fleshy, oblong to egg-shaped, long and about wide. The labellum is yellow, about long and wide with three lobes. The middle lobe is fleshy, about long with a downturned spur about long. Flowering occurs from March to May.

Taxonomy and naming

The large pouched orchid was first formally described in 1905 by Rudolf Schlechter who gave it the name ''Saccolabium gracilistipes'' and published the description in ''Die Flora der Deutschen Schutzgebiete in der Sudsee und Nachtrage''. In 1912 Johannes Jacobus Smith changed the name to ''Robiquetia gracilistipes''. 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 ...

(''gracilistipes'') is derived from the Latin word ''gracilis'' meaning "slender" or "thin" and ''stipes'' meaning "stock", "stem" or "trunk".

Distribution and habitat

The large pouched orchid grows on trees and rocks in rainforest, usually in strong light. It occurs in Malesia, including New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Queensland, Australia where it is found from the Iron Range to Ingham.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15494944, from2=Q15492686 grcilistipes Epiphytic orchids Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of Queensland Orchids of New Guinea Plants described in 1905