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Volume II (1970) - Flora of New Zealand Indigenous Tracheophyta - Monocotyledons except Graminae
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Corybas Salisb.

CORYBAS Salisb., 1805

Fls solitary, occ. 2; floral bracts us. 2, one minute, the larger us. shorter than ovary. Per. often large for size of plant; dorsal sepal uppermost, curved forward, ± concave to galeate; lateral sepals and petals linear to filiform, greatly elongate to extremely small. Labellum relatively large, the basal edges overlapping behind the column to form a tube, the distal part ± cylindric or expanded into a broad, abruptly deflexed lamina; margin entire, denticulate or fimbriate; calli if present minute and papillose. Column short, ± curved, us. inclined backwards, wings occ. represented by small lobes near top; anther terminal, erect, pollinia 2 per cell, pollen finely granular; stigma discoid, surrounded below by a fleshy ridge; rostellum median. Plants terrestrial, glab.; tubers orbicular, us. terminal on long laterals arising in axils of scale lvs on buried part of stem. Fl.-stem short, elongating greatly as fr. matures. Green lf solitary, broad, lamina us. horizontal. About 50 spp. from south-east Asia to N.Z., the 8 N.Z. spp. including 2 known also from Australia.

SYNOPSIS

  • A.
    • Labellum produced downwards into 2 small conical spurs; lateral sepals and petals minute:
    • 1. aconitiflorus
  • B.
    • Labellum auriculate near base, each auricle curved outwards to enclose a circular aperture
    • 1.
      • Lateral sepals and petals shorter than labellum, inconspicuous:
      • 2. unguiculatus
    • 2.
      • Lateral sepals and petals exceeding labellum, conspicuously elongate and filiform
      • (a)
        • Green lvs lacking:
        • 4. cryptanthus
      • (b)
      • (c)

Key

1
Lateral sepals and petals long and filiform
2
Lateral sepals and petals short and inconspicuous
7
2
Front part of labellum abruptly deflexed and widely open, its margin only minutely denticulate; lf sessile or petiolate
3
Front part of labellum ± cylindric, not abruptly deflexed, its margin coarsely toothed or fringed; lf not petiolate
6
3
Dorsal sepal obtuse; lf us. broader than long with acuminate mid-lobe
8. trilobus
Dorsal sepal acute to long-acuminate; lf not broader than long
4
4
Lf membr., long ovate-acuminate, sessile; dorsal sepal long-acuminate
5. rivularis
Lf fleshy, orbicular to broadly oblong, very shortly apiculate, sessile to petiolate; dorsal sepal acute to shortly acuminate
5
5
Lf with distinct, often long petiole; petals rarely > ½ sepal-length; labellum broad as seen from front
7. macranthus
Lf sessile or at most shortly petiolate; petals us. > ½ sepal-length; labellum tapering below as seen from front
6. orbiculatus
6
Plant with normal green colour and habit; dorsal sepal obtuse; labellum not at all deflexed beyond cylindric part
3. oblongus
Plant without green colour, only fl. and peduncle with capsule emerging from lf-mould; dorsal sepal acuminate; labellum expanded and slightly deflexed beyond cylindric part
4. cryptanthus
7
Labellum with 2 spurs at base, its upper part hidden under rounded galeate dorsal sepal
1. aconitiflorus
Labellum without basal spurs, forming ± horizontal tube and covered only along its top by narrow spathulate dorsal sepal
2. unguiculatus

Fl.-colour is from pale green to dark, sts purplish red, often white or translucent in parts, a single sp. us. showing some variation within this range.

Lvs in N.Z. are for the most part entire but occ. plants have a pair of marginal notches, or more rarely 2 pairs.

Fig. 24. CORYBAS. Lettering as in fig. 20, p. 103; Tu = tuber. All drawn to same scale except whole plant of C. cryptanthus and enlarged parts of its rhizomes. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X2G]
Fig. 24. CORYBAS. Lettering as in fig. 20, p. 103; Tu = tuber. All drawn to same scale except whole plant of C. cryptanthus and enlarged parts of its rhizomes. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X2G]
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