Microtis alba
| White mignonette orchid | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  |
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| Unrecognized taxon (fix): | Microtis (plant) |
| Species: |
M. alba
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| Binomial name | |
| Microtis alba |
|
Microtis alba, commonly known as the white mignonette orchid[1] or slender onion-orchid,[2] is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single hollow, onion-like leaf and up to sixty small, green and white flowers with a strong musky fragrance. It is much more common after a fire the previous summer than in unburned country.
Contents
Description
Microtis alba is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single erect, smooth, tubular leaf Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). long and Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). wide. Between ten and sixty green and white flowers are arranged along a flowering stem Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). tall. The flowers have a strong musky fragrance, lean downwards and are Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). long and Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). wide. The dorsal sepal is Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). long, about Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). wide and forms a hood over the column. The lateral sepals are Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). long, about Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). wide with their tips rolled under. The petals are Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). long, about Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). wide and often curved. The labellum is oblong to wedge-shaped, Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). long, Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). wide with wrinkled edges and a notched tip. Flowering occurs from October to January but much more prolifically after fire the previous summer.[1][3][2]
Taxonomy and naming
Microtis alba was first formally described by Robert Brown in 1810 and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.[4][5] The specific epithet (alba) is a Latin word meaning "white".[6]
Distribution and habitat
The white mignonette orchid grows in a range of habitats from seasonally wet flats to forest and occurs between Dongara and Israelite Bay.[1][3][2]
Conservation
Microtis alba is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links
Data related to Microtis alba at Wikispecies
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