Eriochilus scaber is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It has a single leaf and up to three small red, pink and white flowers. Two subspecies are recognised based on the shape of the leaf and its height above the ground.
| Eriochilus scaber | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Eriochilus |
| Species: | E. scaber
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| Binomial name | |
| Eriochilus scaber | |
Description
editEriochilus scaber is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single glabrous, yellowish green leaf which is egg-shaped to almost round. Up to three red, pink and white flowers, about 10 mm (0.4 in) long and wide are borne on a thin green stem, 70–150 mm (3–6 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide. The lateral sepals are broadly lance-shaped, 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long, 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide and hairy on the lower side. The petals are narrow spatula-shaped, 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide and held close to the dorsal sepal. The labellum is 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long, about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide and has three lobes. The middle lobe is 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.14 in) long and is fleshy with red bristles. Flowering occurs from July to September.[2][3][4][5]
Taxonomy and naming
editEriochilus scaber was first formally described in 1840 by John Lindley and the description was published in A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony.[6] The specific epithet (scaber) is a Latin word meaning "rough" or "scurfy",[7] referring to the surface of the labellum.[4]
There are two subspecies:
- Eriochilus scaber subsp. scaber,[8] commonly known as the pink bunny orchid,[4] which has a more or less erect, egg-shaped leaf held 2–12 mm (0.08–0.5 in) above the ground;
- Eriochilus scaber subsp. orbifolius,[9] commonly known as the round-leafed bunny orchid,[4] which has an almost circular leaf held close to the ground.[3]
Distribution and habitat
editThis bunny orchid grows in winter-wet areas between Jurien Bay and the Cape Arid National Park. Subspecies orbifolius is restricted to a small area of old sand dunes near Walpole.[3][4][5][10][11]
Conservation
editEriochilus scaber subsp. scaber is classified as "not threatened"[10] but subspecies orbifolius is classified as "Priority Two" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife[11] meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Eriochilus pulchellus". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 277–278. ISBN 1877069124.
- ^ a b c Hopper, Stephen; Brown, Andrew Phillip (2006). "New and reinstated taxa in Eriochilus" (PDF). Nuytsia. 16 (1): 49–54. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 264. ISBN 9780980296457.
- ^ a b Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 231. ISBN 9780646562322.
- ^ "Eriochilus scaber". APNI. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 670.
- ^ "Eriochilus scaber subsp. scaber". APNI. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "Eriochilus scaber subsp. orbifolius". APNI. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ a b "Eriochilus scaber subsp. scaber". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ a b "Eriochilus scaber subsp. orbifolius". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 10 August 2019.