''Earina'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

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 ...

s (

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Orchidaceae). AT the present time (June 2014), 7 species are recognized, native to various islands in the Pacific Ocean.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> The New Zealand species are all

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 ...

, or sometimes

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 ...

, found growing on mossy trunks in the rain forests of both the North and South Islands. The strap-shaped leaves grow from pendulous wire-thin

pseudobulb The pseudobulb is a storage organ found in many epiphytic and terrestrial sympodial orchids. It is derived from a thickening of the part of a stem between leaf nodes and may be composed of just one internode or several, termed heteroblastic a ...

s that arise from creeping rhizomes. ''E. mucronata'' flowers mainly in the spring, whereas ''E. autumnalis'', as its name suggests, flowers in the autumn—its flowers are fragrant. The flowers are tiny, typically less than 1 cm across, but are produced in abundance. A large flowering specimen in

the bush "The bush" is a term mostly used in the English vernacular of Australia and New Zealand where it is largely synonymous with ''backwoods'' or '' hinterland'', referring to a natural undeveloped area. The fauna and flora contained within this ...

looks spectacular.

Species

# '' Earina aestivalis'' Cheeseman. - New Zealand North Island # ''

Earina autumnalis ''Earina autumnalis'', (commonly known as Easter orchid, or in Māori, raupeka) is a species of orchid that is endemic to New Zealand (North and South Islands, plus Chatham Island). Its small white flowers produce a strong fragrance - a generall ...

'' ( G. Forst.) Hook.f. - New Zealand (North and South Islands, plus Chatham Island) # '' Earina deplanchei'' Rchb.f. - New Caledonia # '' Earina floripecten'' Kraenzl. - New Caledonia # ''

Earina mucronata ''Earina mucronata'' is species of plant endemic to New Zealand. The specific epithet means "pointed" and refers to the shape of the tips of this orchid's very narrow leaves. The leaves are arranged alternately in one plane along a flattened, un ...

Lindl. John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...

- New Zealand (North and South Islands, plus Chatham Island) # '' Earina sigmoidea'' T.Hashim. - Vanuatu # ''

Earina valida ''Earina'' is a genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae). AT the present time (June 2014), 7 species are recognized, native to various islands in the Pacific Ocean. The New Zealand species are all epiphytic, or sometimes lithophytic, found growing ...

'' Rchb.f. - Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3299946 Epidendreae genera Epiphytic orchids