Pachychila pubescens, commonly known as pink kunai orchid[2] or as 粉口兰 (fen kou lan),[3] is a plant in the orchid family. It is native to areas from Asia through Southeast Asia to New Guinea and northern Australia. It is a deciduous, terrestrial herb with one or two grass-like leaves and up to ten dull pink, more or less drooping flowers. It grows in wet, grassy places in forests and woodlands.

Pink kunai orchid
Pachystoma pubescens in the Namdapha Tiger Reserve
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Pachystoma
Species:
P. pubescens
Binomial name
Pachystoma pubescens
Synonyms[1]
List
    • Pachychilus pubescens (Blume) Blume
    • Apaturia chinensis Lindl.
    • Apaturia lindleyana Wight
    • Apaturia montana Lindl.
    • Apaturia senilis Lindl.
    • Apaturia smithiana Lindl.
    • Epipactis scariosa Buch.-Ham. ex Wall. nom. nud.
    • Eulophia hirsuta T.P.Linn nom. illeg.
    • Eulophia hirsuta J.Joseph & Vajr.
    • Eulophia holtzei F.Muell.
    • Graphorkis holtzei (F.Muell.) Kuntze
    • Neottia pantanis Korth. ex Blume
    • Pachychilus chinensis (Lindl.) Blume
    • Pachychilus montanus (Lindl.) Blume
    • Pachychilus pantanus Blume
    • Pachychilus senile (Lindl.) Blume
    • Pachychilus smithianus (Lindl.) Blume
    • Pachychilus speciosus Blume
    • Pachystoma affine Schltr.
    • Pachystoma brevilabium Schltr.
    • Pachystoma chinense (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
    • Pachystoma chinense var. formosanum (Schltr.) S.S.Ying
    • Pachystoma edgworthii Rchb.f.
    • Pachystoma formosanum Schltr.
    • Pachystoma fortunei Rchb.f.
    • Pachystoma gracile Schltr.
    • Pachystoma hirsuta (J.Joseph & Vajr.) C.S.Kumar & Manilal
    • Pachystoma holtzei (F.Muell.) F.Muell.
    • Pachystoma josephi Müll.Berol.
    • Pachystoma lindleyanum (Wight) Rchb.f.
    • Pachystoma ludaoense S.C.Chen & Y.B.Luo
    • Pachystoma montanum (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
    • Pachystoma nutans S.C.Chen & Y.B.Luo
    • Pachystoma pantanum (Blume) Miq.
    • Pachystoma papuanum Schltr.
    • Pachystoma parvifolium Rchb.f.
    • Pachystoma pubescens var. gracile (Schltr.) N.Hallé
    • Pachystoma senile (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
    • Pachystoma smithianum (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
    • Pachystoma speciosum (Blume) Rchb.f.
    • Pachystoma wightii Rchb.f.

Description

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Pachystoma pubescens is a deciduous, terrestrial herb with one or two dark green, linear, pleated, sharply pointed leaves 300–450 mm (12–18 in) long and 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide. Between four and ten resupinate, dull pink, more or less tubular, drooping flowers 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in)wide are borne on a flowering stem 300–600 mm (10–20 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long, about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide and the lateral sepals are a similar length but 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide with a humped base. The petals are a similar length to the sepals but narrower. The labellum is 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long and 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide with three lobes. The middle lobe has a square tip and pimply surface and the side lobes curve upwards. Flowering occurs in November and December in Australia and March to September in Asia.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

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Pachystoma pubescens was first described in 1825 by Carl Ludwig Blume, in his Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indie.[6][7] The specific epithet (pubescens) is derived from the Latin word pubesco meaning "put on the down of puberty"[8]: 392  with the ending -escens meaning "beginning of" or "becoming",[8]: 135  hence "pubescent".[8]: 392 

Distribution and habitat

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The pink kunal orchid often grows with grasses such as kunai grass (Imperata cylindrica) in woodland and forest areas that are seasonally wet. It occurs in China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Guinea, the Philippines, Vietnam and in Australia where it is found in northern parts of the Northern Territory and in Tropical North Queensland.[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Pachystoma pubescens". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  2. ^ 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. pp. 360–361. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. ^ a b c "Pachystoma pubescens". Flora of China. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  4. ^ D.L.Jones; T.Hopley; S.M.Duffy (2010). "Factsheet - Pachystoma pubescens". Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Pachystoma pubescens". Orchids of New Guinea. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Pachystoma pubescens". APNI. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  7. ^ Blume, Carl Ludwig (1825). Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indi. Batavia. p. 376. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  8. ^ a b c Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.