Species profile—Calochilus psednus

Classification

Plantae ( https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/?kingdom=plants ) (plants) → Equisetopsida ( https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/?kingdom=plants&class=equisetopsida ) (land plants) → Orchidaceae ( https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/?kingdom=plants&class=equisetopsida&family=orchidaceae ) → Calochilus psednus

Species details

Kingdom
Plantae ( https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/?kingdom=plants&class=equisetopsida ) (plants)
Class
Equisetopsida ( https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/?kingdom=plants&class=equisetopsida ) (land plants)
Family
Orchidaceae ( https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/?kingdom=plants&class=equisetopsida&family=orchidaceae )
Scientific name
Calochilus psednus D.L.Jones & Lavarack
WildNet taxon ID
8548
Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status
Endangered
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) status
Endangered
Conservation significant
Yes
Confidential
Yes
Endemicity
Native
Pest status
Nil
Short Notes
Status annotated by author (Jones)
Description
Calochilus psednus is a slender, tuberous, terrestrial orchid. The brown, fleshy, egg-shaped tuber-like roots are up to 3.5cm long and 1cm wide. The leaves are 60-120mm long by 3-5mm wide and are absent at the time of flowering.
The flower stems are very slender and wiry, 25-35cm tall and support up to three flowers. Each flower measures 11-13mm long and 7-9mm wide and is on a slender, curved stalk 8-14mm long. The outer segments of the flower spread widely in temperatures above 20 degrees celsius. The petals are dull green to bluish-green in colour with red-brown linear lines. A modified petal, called a labellum, is flat and divided into three lobes. It is 10-11mm long, 6.5-7mm wide, shiny and reddish brown in colour. The basal three-quarters of the labellum are covered in sparse, short purple hairs to 1mm long. (Jones & Lavarack 1989; DEWHA 2008)
Map
View Map ( https://wildnet.itp.qld.gov.au/wws/images/17712?f=.png )
Habitat
Calochilus psednus grows in low Melaleuca woodland with an understorey of dense sedges and scattered low shrubs. The soils are seasonally inundated sandy loams. (DEWHA 2008)
Reproduction
Calochilus psednus flowers between December and February. (Jones & Lavarack 1989)
Threatening processes
Inappropriate fire regimes which could prove fatal to the species. The existing habitat is fragmented and has been disturbed by a road construction. There is no security from collectors.
Notes
Contributors: Weslawa Misiak 10/09/1998; Peter Bostock, Mellisa Mayhew 13/03/2009
References
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2008). Calochilus psednus in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. Accessed 25/09/2008. http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/sprat.pl
Dockrill, A.W. (1992). Australian Indigenous Orchids. Volume 1 & 2. Surrey Beatty & Sons in association with The Society for Growing Australian Plants, Chipping Norton, NSW.
Herbrecs (2008). Calochilus psednus, in BriMapper version 2.12. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 25/09/2008.
Jones, D.L. & Lavarack, P.S. (1989). New Species of Calochilus (Orchidaceae) from North-Eastern Queensland. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 100: 101-103.
Profile author
Peter Bostock (13/03/2009)

Other resources

Data source

This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API ( https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/qld-wildlife-data-api ) using the Get species by ID function ( https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/qld-wildlife-data-api/resource/d050bfcd-ad49-4776-9bdb-7d5fa8f94fe2 ) used under CC-By 4.0 ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=8548 ( https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=8548 ).

This information is sourced from the WildNet platform ( https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/plants-animals/species-information/wildnet ) managed by the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.