Apostasia wallichii
{{Short description|Species of orchid}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2024}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Yellow grass orchid
| image = Apostasia wallichii (2).jpg
| image_caption = Apostasia wallachii growing near Cairns
| genus = Apostasia
| species = wallichii
| authority = R.Br.{{cite web |title=Apostasia wallichii |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/97869|website=Australian Plant Census |access-date=14 April 2023}}
| synonyms = {{collapsible list|
- Apostasia alba Rolfe
- Apostasia curvata J.J.Sm.
- Apostasia gracilis Rolfe
- Apostasia lucida Blume ex Siebe
- Apostasia nipponica Masam.
- Apostasia papuana Schltr.
- Apostasia stylidioides (F.Muell.) Rchb.f.
- Apostasia wallichii subsp. nipponica (Masam.) Masam.
- Apostasia wallichii R.Br. subsp. wallichii
- Apostasia wallichii var. nipponica (Masam.) Masam.
- Apostasia wallichii var. seraweiensis J.J.Sm.
- Apostasia wallichii R.Br. var. wallichii
- Mesodactylis deflexa Wall. nom. inval., nom. nud.
- Niemeyera stylidioides F.Muell.
- Niemeyere stylidioides Dockrill orth. var.
}}
}}
Apostasia wallichii, commonly known as the yellow grass orchid,{{cite book|last1=Jones|first1=David L.|title=A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories|date=2006|publisher=New Holland|location=Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.|isbn=1877069124|page =352}} is a species of orchid that is native to India, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and northern Australia. It has many arching, dark green, grass-like leaves and up to forty small, star-like yellow flowers arranged on a branched flowering stem. It mainly grows in wet forest and rainforest.
Description
Apostasia wallichii is a terrestrial, tuberous, evergreen herb, scarcely recognisable as an orchid. It has wiry, branched roots with fleshy, warty projections and an erect, fibrous stem with many grass-like leaves arranged in whorls along it. The leaves are dark green, thin and leathery {{convert|100-200|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long and up to {{convert|1|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} wide. Between five and forty star-like, yellow flowers, {{convert|8-10|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} wide are arranged on branched flowering stems {{convert|50-100|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long and arising from leaf axils. The three sepals and three petals are all similar in size ({{convert|4-6|mm|in|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|1-1.5|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} wide), shape (narrow triangular) and colour. Flowering occurs between December and March in Australia and in August in China.{{cite web |title=Apostasia wallichii |url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242420461 |publisher=Flora of China |accessdate=6 September 2018}}{{cite web |author1=D.L.Jones |author2=T.Hopley |author3=S.M.Duffy |author1-link=David L. Jones (botanist) |year=2010 |access-date=29 May 2021 |url=http://www.canbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/RFKOrchids/key/rfkorchids/Media/Html/Apostasia_stylidioides.htm |title=Factsheet - Apostasia stylidioides |website=Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids |publisher=Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government}}{{cite web |title=Apostasia wallichii |url=http://www.orchidsnewguinea.com/orchid-information/species/speciescode/1609 |publisher=Orchids of New Guinea |accessdate=6 September 2018}}
Taxonomy and naming
Apostasia wallichii was first formally described in 1830 by Robert Brown. Brown's manuscript was published in Nathaniel Wallich's book, Plantae Asiaticae Rariores.{{cite web|title=Apostasia wallichii|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/523349|publisher=APNI|access-date=14 April 2023}}{{cite book |last1=Wallich |first1=Nathaniel |title=Plantae Asiaticae Rariores |date=1830 |location=London |pages=75–76 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/9714#page/170/mode/1up |accessdate=6 September 2018}} The specific epithet (wallichii) honours Nathaniel Wallich.
Distribution and habitat
The yellow grass orchid grows in tropical forest and rainforest, sometimes near streams at altitudes of up to {{convert|1000|m|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=on}}. It is found in Hainan, south-west Yunnan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, southern Japan, Nepal, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, New Guinea and Queensland where if occurs between Bamaga and Ingham.
References
{{Commons}}
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{{Taxonbar|from=Q145943}}
Category:Plants described in 1830
Category:Orchids of Queensland
Category:Orchids of New Guinea