Bulbophyllum wolfei
| Fleshy snake orchid | |
|---|---|
| |
| Illustration by Lewis Roberts | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Genus: | Bulbophyllum |
| Species: | B. wolfei
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| Binomial name | |
| Bulbophyllum wolfei | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Serpenticaulis wolfei (B.Gray & D.L.Jones) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones | |
Bulbophyllum wolfei, commonly known as the fleshy snake orchid,[2] is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid with thin, creeping rhizomes, and flattened pseudobulbs each with a single thick, fleshy, dark green leaf and a single cream-coloured flower with dark red stripes. It mostly grows on rainforest trees in tropical North Queensland.
Description[edit]
Bulbophyllum wolfei is an epiphytic or lithophytic herb that has thin, creeping rhizomes pressed against the surface on which it grows and oval-shaped pseudobulbs 4–9 mm (0.16–0.35 in) long, 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide and pressed against the rhizome. Each pseudobulb has a thick, fleshy, dark green, oblong to oval leaf 10–25 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide. A single resupinate, cream-coloured flower with prominent, dark red stripes, 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long and wide is borne on a thread-like flowering stem 20–30 mm (0.79–1.2 in) long. The sepals are about 6 mm (0.24 in) long, 2 mm (0.079 in) wide and the petals are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide with a red stripe along the midline. The labellum is 4.5–5 mm (0.18–0.20 in) long, 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, fleshy and curved with a groove along its midline. Flowering occurs from April to September.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Bulbophyllum wolfei was first formally described in 1991 by Bruce Gray and David Jones and the description was published in Austrobaileya.[5] The specific epithet (wolfei) honours "Mr T.J. (Tom) Wolfe, of Atherton, Queensland" for his assistance with orchid research.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
The fleshy snake orchid grows on trees and rocks in rainforest between the Mount Carbine Tableland and Daintree National Park in Queensland at altitudes from 900 to 1,200 m (3,000 to 3,900 ft).
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Bulbophyllum wolfei". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ a b Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 432–433. ISBN 1877069124.
- ^ a b Gray, Bruce; Jones, David L. (1991). "A new species of Bulbophyllum Thouars Section Micromonanthe (Orchidaceae) from north-eastern Queensland". Austrobaileya. 3 (3): 331–333.
- ^ D.L.Jones; T.Hopley; S.M.Duffy (2010). "Factsheet - Serpenticaulis wolfei". Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ^ "Bulbophyllum wolfei". APNI. Retrieved 14 December 2018.