Corybas hatchii
| Corybas hatchii | |
|---|---|
| |
| Corybas hatchii near Point Elizabeth | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Corybas |
| Species: | C. hatchii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Corybas hatchii | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Corybas hatchii is a species of terrestrial orchid endemic to New Zealand.[1][2] It has a solitary rounded leaf, often flecked with maroon, and a single pale green and maroon flower.[2]
Description
Corybas hatchii is a terrestrial, perennial, tuberous herb with a solitary fleshy rounded leaf born on a short petiole; at the base, the leaf is either rounded or slightly cordate. The upper surface is green and often flecked with maroon, while the lower surface is silvery. The leaf itself is 15-28 x 11-20 mm. The single flower is held noticeably above the leaf. The peduncle is short but the ovary is oblong and slightly ridged; it is held straight or slightly away from the leaf. The ovary is accompanied by two slender green floral bracts of unequal lengths; the smaller one points towards the leaf and is extremely small, while the larger one is around the length of the ovary and points away from the leaf. The dorsal sepal is approximately equal to the labellum in length and slender with a pointed tip, slightly arched downwards. It is translucent white to pale green and often flecked with deep crimson. The labellum is auriculate (forming two lobes) at the base and strong downturned; its main portion, the lamina, is broad and rhomboidal with a sharp tip. Its upper margins are folded inwards, and its lower margins and flat and very finely toothed. The labellum is dark maroon at the base, while its lamina is translucent green or white, very often with crimson-maroon stripes that transition into flecks or spots near the borders. Flowering occurs from July to November. The peduncle elongates greatly as the capsule ripens.[2]
Corybas hatchii can be distinguished from similar species, especially Corybas papa, by its petiolate rather than sessile leaf; its usually translucent to red, rather than green, flowers (although they can rarely be more greenish); its forward-pointing and parallel, rather than widely spreading, lateral sepals and petals; and its higher-altitude habitats and later flowering period.[2]
Taxonomy
Corybas hatchii was first described in 1947 by Edwin Daniel Hatch as Corybas macranthus var. longipetalus. Subsequently, in 1993, Hatch attempted to raise the taxon to species status as Corybas longipetalus; however, he was unaware that the name had already been used in 1923 for a New Guinea species, Corybas longipetalus (Ridl.) Schltr.. In 2002, Brian Molloy, David Jones, and Mark Clements transferred the species into the genus Nematoceras under the name Nematoceras longipetalum. However, in a 2014 dissertation that analyzed DNA markers from Corybas species occuring from the Himalayas to New Zealand, Stephanie Lyon indicated that Nematoceras and other genera that Molloy, Jones, and Clements had segregated ought to be returned to Corybas. The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families and the New Zealand Department of Conservation recognized these changes, but Nematoceras longipetalum and two other Nematoceras species remained unplaced because they had no combination under Corybas and thus had not been transferred. Finally, in 2016, Carlos Lehnebach transferred the species to Corybas under its current name, Corybas hatchii, which was a nomen novum.[1][2][3][4]
Distribution and habitat
Corybas hatchii is endemic to New Zealand's North Island and South Island, primarily towards the west.[1][2] It grows in lowland to subalpine habitats in damp seepages in base-rich substrates, such as calcareous mudstones, siltstones, limestones, basalt, basaltic andesites, and andesitic tephra.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Corybas hatchii". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Corybas hatchii". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- ^ "Flora of New Zealand | Taxon Profile | Corybas hatchii". www.nzflora.info. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- ^ Lehnebach, Carlos (2016). "New combinations and a replacement name for three New Zealand spider orchids (Corybas)". The New Zealand Native Orchid Journal. 139: 4–5.