''Bulbophyllum macphersonii'', commonly known as eyelash orchids, is a species of

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

lithophytic Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are als ...

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found 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 found elsew ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. It has tiny, crowded, slightly flattened, dark green pseudobulbs, a single thick, fleshy leaf and a single dark red to purplish red flower with a narrow labellum. It grows on trees and rocks in sheltered places.

Description

''Bulbophyllum macphersonii'' is an epiphytic or lithophytic

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

that forms dense clumps. It has a creeping

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

and densely crowded, more or less spherical, dark green pseudobulbs long and about wide. There is a single variably shaped, dark green, channelled leaf long and wide on the end of the pseudobulb. A single dark red to purplish red, sometimes pink, green or white flower, long and wide is borne on a thread-like flowering stem long. The dorsal

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 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

is narrow egg-shaped, long and about wide. The lateral sepals are a similar length to the dorsal sepal but are about long and joined to each other. The

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s spread widely and are about long and about wide. The labellum is long and only about wide. It has a fringe of long, fine hairs and vibrates in the slightest breeze. Flowering occurs between March and August.

Taxonomy and naming

The small eyelash orchid was first formally described in 1934 by

Herman Rupp Herman Montague Rucker Rupp (27 December 1872 – 2 September 1956) was an Australian clergyman and botanist who specialised in orchids. He was known throughout his life as Montague Rupp (pronounced "Rupe") and in later life as the "Orchid Man". R ...

and the description was published in ''

The Victorian Naturalist ''The Victorian Naturalist'' is a bimonthly scientific journal covering natural history, especially of Australia. It is published by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria and is received as part of the membership subscription of that club. From ...

''. It had previously been described in 1884 by Frederick Manson Bailey, intending his description to be published in

Robert D. Fitzgerald Robert David FitzGerald (or possibly Robert Desmond FitzGerald) (30 November 1830 – 12 August 1892) was an Irish-Australian surveyor, ornithologist, botanist and poet. Whilst working as a public servant FitzGerald's private passion and ability ...

's book '' Australian Orchids''. Fitzgerald died before the volume was published but it was later published by Arthur Stopps and Henry Deane who considered the orchid to belong to the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Osyricera''. With Bailey's approval, the description was published as ''Osyricera purpurascens''. In 1905, Johannes Jacobus Smith changed the name of ''Osyricera purpurascens'' to ''Bulbophyllum purpurascens'', but that name had already been used for a different orchid and was therefore a nomen illegitimum. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''macphersonii'') honours Ken PacPherson who "rediscovered" the species in 1933. The names of two varieties of this orchid are accepted by the

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (usually abbreviated to WCSP) is an "international collaborative programme that provides the latest peer reviewed and published opinions on the accepted scientific names and synonyms of selected plan ...

: * ''Bulbophyllum macphersonii'' var. ''macphersonii'' - the small eyelash orchid; * ''Bulbophyllum macphersonii'' var. ''spathulatum'' – the large eyelash orchid which is larger in all its parts. It has also been known as ''Bulbophyllum sladeanum'' A.D.Hawkes and ''Blepharochilum sladeanum''.( A.D.Hawkes)

D.L.Jones David Lloyd Jones (born 1944) is an Australians, Australian horticultural botanist and the author of many books and papers, especially on Australian orchids. Jones was born in Victoria (Australia), Victoria and in his youth was a student at Burnl ...

M.A.Clem. Mark Alwin Clements (b. 1949) is an Australian botanist and orchidologist. He obtained his doctorate at the Australian National University defending his thesis entitled ''Reproductive Biology in relation to phylogeny of the Orchidaceae, espe ...

Distribution and habitat

''Bulbophyllum newportii'' grows on trees, rocks and cliff faces in sheltered rainforest and open forest. It is found between the

Cedar Bay National Park Ngalba Bulal is a national park in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. In 2015, Cedar Bay National Park became the Mangkalba (Cedar Bay) section of the Ngalba Bulal National Park. Geography The park is northwest of Brisbane, south o ...

, the

Atherton Tableland The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tina ...

and

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulbophyllum Macphersonii macphersonii Orchids of Queensland Endemic orchids of Australia Plants described in 1934