''Calochilus'', commonly known as beard orchids, is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of about 30

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

s in the orchid

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family (biology), family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan plants that ...

. Beard orchids are

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth, as opposed to extraterrestrial. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on o ...

herbs Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnish (food), garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typi ...

with a single leaf at the base of the plant, or no leaves. Their most striking feature is a densely hairy labellum, giving rise to their common name. Beard orchids, unlike some other Australian orchids, do not reproduce using daughter tubers, but

self-pollinate Self-pollination is a form of pollination in which pollen arrives at the stigma of a flower (in flowering plants) or at the ovule (in gymnosperms) of the same plant. The term cross-pollination is used for the opposite case, where pollen from one ...

when

cross-pollination Xenogamy (Greek ''xenos''=stranger, ''gamos''=marriage) is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of a different plant. This is the only type of cross pollination which during pollination brings genetically different types of ...

has not occurred. Most species occur in Australia but some are found in

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

and

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

Description

Orchids in the genus ''Calochilus'' are terrestrial,

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

sympodial In botany, sympodial growth is a bifurcating branching pattern where one branch develops more strongly than the other, resulting in the stronger branches forming the primary shoot and the weaker branches appearing laterally. A sympodium, als ...

herbs with a few inconspicuous, fine roots and a pair of egg-shaped

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reproduc ...

s lacking a protective fibrous sheath. The tubers produce replacement tubers on the end of a short, root-like

stolon In biology, a stolon ( from Latin ''wikt:stolo, stolō'', genitive ''stolōnis'' – "branch"), also known as a runner, is a horizontal connection between parts of an organism. It may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton. Typically, animal ...

s. There is either a single, linear, fleshy, convolute leaf, usually channelled, sometimes triangular in cross section, or there is no leaf. Calochilus labelled

The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is a

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...

with from one to many resupinate

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s. The flowering stem usually has sheathing

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s, which often appear leaf-like. The

dorsal Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to: * Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism * Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage The fus ...

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

is broad, erect, dished and often forms a horizontal hood over the

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

. The

lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may also refer to: Biology and healthcare * Lateral (anatomy), a term of location meaning "towards the side" * Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle, an intrinsic muscle of the larynx * Lateral release ( ...

sepals are similar to, but usually narrower than the dorsal sepal. The

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s are shorter and narrower than the sepals and often have a hook-like tip. As is usual in orchids, one petal is highly modified as the central labellum. The labellum is longer than all the other parts of the flower, oblong near its base, triangular near the tip and densely covered with purple or metallic-coloured hairs, short near the base of the labellum increasing in length towards its tip. The sexual parts of the flower are fused to the

, which is short and broad with broad wings on its sides. The base of the column forms two rounded collars around the stigma, each often with an eye-like spot. Flowering time depends on the climatic region where the species is found and the fruit that follows flowering is a non-fleshy,

dehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that op ...

capsule containing up to 500 seeds.

Taxonomy and naming

The genus ''Calochilus'' was first formally described by

Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...

in 1810 and the description was published in ''

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae ''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' (Prodromus of the Flora of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land) is a book by the botanist Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and ...

''. Brown described two species, '' C. campestris'' and '' C. paludosus'', but did not nominate a

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

. The name ''Calochilus'' is said to be derived from the Latin words ''calos'' meaning 'beautiful' and ''chilus'' meaning 'lip' referring to the bearded labellum. In classical Latin, ''pulcher'' and ''labium'' are the words for 'beautiful' and 'lip'.Lewis, C.T. & Short, C. (1879). ''A Latin dictionary founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary.'' Oxford: Clarendon Press. In ancient Greek, ''kalos'' (καλός) and ''cheilos'' (χεῖλος) are used for 'beautiful' and 'lip'.Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). ''A Greek-English Lexicon. Revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones with the assistance of Roderick McKenzie.''Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Distribution and habitat

There are about thirty species of beard orchid. One species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to New Caledonia with the remainder occurring in Australia, although three also occur in New Zealand and one also in New Guinea. Beard orchids are found in all Australian states. In temperate Australia and in New Zealand they grow on slopes and ridges in forest, woodland, shrubland, heath and wet swamps; in tropical Australia and New Guinea in wet, grassy areas. The New Caledonian species, '' Calochilus neocalidonium'' grows in

maquis shrubland 220px, Low maquis in Corsica 220px, High ''macchia'' in Sardinia ( , , ) or ( , ; often in Italian; , ; ; ; ) is a savanna-like shrubland biome in the Mediterranean region, typically consisting of densely growing evergreen shrubs. Maquis ...

on rocky soils.

Ecology

In tropical regions, ''Calochilus'' species complete their life cycle before the start of the dry season but in more temperate areas they grow in autumn and winter and when the leaves are fully developed they flower in spring and early summer. There have been few studies on the pollination of beard orchids but male ''

Campsomeris ''Campsomeris'' is a Neotropical genus of the family Scoliidae, also known as the scoliid wasps. They are generally parasites of beetle larvae, most often of Scarabaeidae. Description and identification ''Campsomeris'' are large wasps with com ...

'' wasps have been observed collecting

pollinia A pollinium (: pollinia) is a coherent mass of pollen grains in a plant that are the product of only one anther, but are transferred, during pollination, as a single unit. This is regularly seen in plants such as orchids and many species of milkwee ...

from some flowers while attempting to copulate with the labellum. In all species, the

anther The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

is directly above the stigma, so that if the flower is not cross pollinated, the pollinia fall or crumple onto it.

Species list

Species accepted as of July 2018: *'' Calochilus ammobius'' D.L.Jones & B.Gray - sand beard orchid ( Qld.) *'' Calochilus caeruleus'' L.O.Williams - wiry beard orchid (New Guinea, Qld., N.T.) *'' Calochilus caesius'' D.L.Jones - blue beard orchid (N.T.) *'' Calochilus campestris'' R.Br. - copper beard orchid (Qld., N.S.W., Vic., S.A., Tas.) *'' Calochilus cleistanthus'' D.L.Jones - pallid beard orchid (Qld) *'' Calochilus gracillimus'' Rupp - late beard orchid, slender beard orchid (Qld., N.S.W.) *'' Calochilus grandiflorus'' (Benth.) Domin - golden beard orchid, giant beard orchid (Qld., N.S.W.) *'' Calochilus herbaceus'' Lindl. - pale beard orchid (N.S.W., S.A., Tas. North Island of New Zealand) *'' Calochilus holtzei'' F.Muell. - ghostly beard orchid (N.T., W.A.) *'' Calochilus imperiosus'' D.L.Jones - imperial beard orchid (Qld., N.T.) *'' Calochilus kalaru'' D.L.Jones - (N.S.W.) *'' Calochilus metallicus'' D.L.Jones - metallic beard orchid (Qld.) *'' Calochilus montanus'' D.L.Jones - mountain beard orchid (N.S.W.) *'' Calochilus neocaledonicus'' Schltr. -

*'' Calochilus paludosus'' R.Br. - red beard orchid, red beardie (Qld., N.S.W., Vic., S.A., Tas. North Island of N.Z.) *'' Calochilus platychilus'' D.L.Jones - purple beard orchid (N.S.W.) *'' Calochilus praealtus'' D.L.Jones - lofty beard (N.S.W.) *'' Calochilus pruinosus'' D.L.Jones - mallee beard orchid (W.A.) *'' Calochilus psednus'' D.L.Jones & Lavarack - Cardwell beard orchid (Qld.) *'' Calochilus pulchellus'' D.L.Jones - pretty beard orchid (N.S.W.) *'' Calochilus richiae'' Nicholls - bald-tip beard orchid (Vic.) *'' Calochilus robertsonii'' Benth. - purple beard orchid, purplish beard orchid (Qld., N.S.W., Vic., S.A., Tas., W.A. N.Z.) *'' Calochilus russeus'' D.L.Jones - reddish beard orchid (N.S.W.) *'' Calochilus sandrae'' D.L.Jones - brownish beard orchid (N.S.W.) *'' Calochilus stramenicola'' D.L.Jones - wandoo beard orchid (W.A.) *'' Calochilus therophilus'' D.L.Jones - late beard orchid (Qld., N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic., Tas.) *'' Calochilus uliginosus'' D.L.Jones - swamp beard orchid (W.A.)

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1304801 Diurideae genera Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)