Sarcochilus borealis

Sarcochilus borealis, commonly known as the small lawyer orchid,[2] is a small epiphytic orchid endemic to Queensland. It has up to six thin but stiff, dark green leaves and up to ten green flowers with a white labellum that has reddish brown markings.

Small lawyer orchid
Illustration by Lewis Roberts
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Sarcochilus
Species:
S. borealis
Binomial name
Sarcochilus borealis
Synonyms[1]
  • Sarcochilus olivaceus var. borealis Nicholls

Description

Sarcochilus borealis is a small epiphytic herb with a stem 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long with between two and six thin but stiff dark green leaves 40–80 mm (2–3 in) long and 15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) wide. Between two and ten pale green to dark green flowers 16–18 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long and 18–20 mm (0.7–0.8 in) wide are arranged on a flowering stem 60–100 mm (2–4 in) long. The sepal are 8–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide whilst the petals are slightly shorter and narrower. The labellum is white with reddish brown markings, 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) wide and has three lobes. The side lobes are erect and the middle lobe is smaller with a prominent tooth. Flowering occurs between June and December.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

The small lawyer orchid was first formally described in 1939 by William Henry Nicholls who gave it the name Sarcochilus olivaceus var. borealis and published the description in The North Queensland Naturalist.[4] In 1989 David Jones and Mark Clements raised the variety to species status.[5] The specific epithet (borealis) is a Latin word meaning "northern".[6]

Distribution and habitat

The small lawyer orchid grows on trees and vines in rainforest at altitudes of 800–1,000 m (3,000–3,000 ft) in the Mount Lewis National Park and on the Atherton Tableland.[2][3]

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References
  1. "Sarcochilus borealis". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 448. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. "Sarcochilus borealis". Trin keys: Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  4. "Sarcochilus olivaceus var. borealis". APNI. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  5. "Sarcochilus borealis". APNI. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  6. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 158.
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