''Genoplesium ectopum'', commonly known as the Brindabella spider orchid or ectopic midge orchid and as ''Corunastylis ectopa'' in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, is a small terrestrial

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. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

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 the

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal States and territories of Australia, territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, an ...

. It has a single thin leaf fused to the flowering stem and up to thirty five small, green and reddish purple flowers. It is only known from the

Brindabella Range The Brindabella Range, commonly called The Brindabellas or The Brindies, is a mountain range located in Australia, on a state and territory border of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The range rises to the west of C ...

where it grows in ''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

'' forest.

Description

''Genoplesium ectopum'' is a 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 ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

with an underground

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 ...

and a single thin leaf and fused to the flowering stem, the free part long. Between fifteen and thirty five green and reddish purple flowers are arranged along a flowering stem reaching to a height of long and much taller than the leaf. The flowers are about long and wide and are inverted so that the labellum is above 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 ...

rather than below it. 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 long and about wide. 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 long, about wide, with a humped base and spread apart from each other. 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 about long and wide with a few hairs on their edges. The labellum is purple, about long, wide with coarse hairs up to long and the labellum vibrates in the slightest breeze. There is a

callus A callus (: calluses) is an area of thickened and sometimes hardened skin that forms as a response to repeated friction, pressure, or other irritation. Since repeated contact is required, calluses are most often found on the feet and hands, b ...

in the centre of the labellum but not extending to its tip. Flowering occurs from January to March.

Taxonomy and naming

''Genoplesium ectopum'' was first formally described in 1999 by David Jones from a specimen collected in the Brindabella Ranges and the description was published in ''The Orchadian''. In 2002, Jones and

Mark Alwin Clements Mark Alwin Clements () 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, especially the ...

changed the name to ''Corunastylis ectopa''. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

(''ectopum'') derived from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

word ''ektopos'' meaning "out of place".

Distribution and habitat

The Brindabella midge orchid is only known from a single site in the Brindabella Range at an altitude of where it grows in ''Eucalyptus'' forest.

Conservation

The entire population of this midge orchid grows within of a road embankment prone to erosion. Population estimates range from about 35 following bushfires and drought, to the present at about 110. The main threats to the species are erosion, roadworks, weed invasion, shrub growth and inappropriate use of herbicides. The species is listed as "critically endangered" (CR) under the

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cult ...

(EPBC Act).

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q15464246 ectopum Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of the Australian Capital Territory Plants described in 2007