Phreatia listeri
| Phreatia listeri | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Genus: | Phreatia |
| Species: | P. listeri
|
| Binomial name | |
| Phreatia listeri | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Plexaure listeri (Rolfe) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones | |
Phreatia listeri, commonly known as the Christmas Island caterpillar orchid,[2] is a plant in the orchid family and is an epiphyte with four to six flat, blunt leaves in a fan-like arrangement. A large number of tiny, greenish white flowers are arranged along a thin flowering stem. It is endemic to Christmas Island.
Description[edit]
Phreatia listeri is a clump-forming epiphytic herb with a short stem, thin roots and between four and six flat, blunt, dark green leaves 40–110 mm (1.6–4.3 in) long and about 2–5 mm (0.079–0.20 in) wide in a fan-like arrangement. A large number of greenish white non-resupinate flowers 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long and wide are arranged along a thin flowering stem 40–80 mm (1.6–3.1 in) long. The sepals and petals are about 0.8 mm (0.031 in) long and do not spread widely. The labellum is about 1 mm (0.039 in) long and wide. Flowering occurs between September and October.[2]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Phreatia listeri was first formally described in 1890 by Robert Allen Rolfe who published the description in the Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany.[3][4] The specific epithet (listeri) honours Joseph Jackson Lister who, with John Maclear and the officers of H.M.S. Egeria collected the type specimen.[4]: 351 [5][6]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Found only on Christmas Island, the orchid is common on rainforest trees.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Phreatia listeri". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ a b c Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 475. ISBN 1877069124.
- ^ "Phreatia listeri". APNI. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ a b Rolfe, Robert Allen (1890). "Collections from Christmas Island. Orchideae". Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany. 25: 358. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Lister, Joseph Jackson (1857 - 1927)". Australian National Herbarium. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Maclear, John Fiot Lee Pearse (1838 - 1907)". Australian National Herbarium. Retrieved 18 January 2019.