Philippa's china orchid
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Cyanicula
Species:
C. nikulinskyae
Binomial name
Cyanicula nikulinskyae
Synonyms[1]

Caladenia nikulinskyae (Hopper & A.P.Br.) M.A.Clem.

Cyanicula nikulinskyae, commonly known as Philippa's china orchid,[2] granite china orchid[3] and Esperance china orchid[4] is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is very similar to Caladenia gemmata but has slightly smaller flowers with taller calli. It has a single broad, flattened leaf and up to two pale blue flowers and occurs near Esperance.

Description

Cyanicula nikulinskyae is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single flattened leaf, 20–45 mm (0.8–2 in) long and about 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide. One or two pale blue flowers 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long and wide are borne on a stalk 70–130 mm (3–5 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is erect, 11–5 mm (0.4–0.2 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide and the lateral sepals and petals have similar dimensions. The labellum is 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long, 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide and pale bluish-mauve and white. The sides of the labellum have short teeth, the tip curves downward and there are many rows of cylindrical calli along its mid-line. Flowering occurs from September to early November.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Cyanicula nikulinskyae was first formally described in 2000 by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown in Lindleyana from a specimen collected near Condingup.[6] The specific epithet (nikulinskyae) honours the botanical artist, Philippa Nikulinsky.[3][7]

Distribution and habitat

Phillippa's china orchid mostly occurs between the Fitzgerald River National Park and Israelite Bay in the Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions where it grows near areas that are wet in winter.[2][3][4][5][8]

Conservation

Caladenia nikulinskyae is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Cyanicula nikulinskyae". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 30–31. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 191. ISBN 9780980296457.
  4. 1 2 3 Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 197. ISBN 9780646562322.
  5. 1 2 Archer, William (21 December 2008). "Granite china orchid - Cyanicula nikulinskyae". Esperance Wildflowers. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "Cyanicula nikulinskyae". APNI. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  7. ↑ "Nikulinsky, Philippa (1942-)". Council of the Heads of Australian Herbaria. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Cyanicula nikulinskyae". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
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