Adenochilus gracilis
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Orchids
Flower colours
Green, White
Detailed description
Gracile, terrestrial, rhizomatous, perennial herb without tubers. Plant at flowering up to 200 mm tall. Stem erect, slender. Leaves, glabrous, petiolate and cauline. Petiolate leaf arising from rhizome, separate and usually well spaced from flowering stem, emerging through a cylindrical sheath-like leaf, 10–30 mm long, green ovate to ovate-oblong or oblong, base cordate, apex acute to subacute; cauline leaf sessile, inserted about half-way up stem, 10–20 mm long, green, ovate to ovate-oblong, acute to subacute, base more or less cordate, occasionally shallowly notched. Flower usually solitary, rarely paired, subtended by 1–2 floral bracts. Perianth 10–20 mm diameter, external surfaces shortly and finely glandular pubescent. Sepals lanceolate, acute; dorsal sepal greenish, concave, strongly arched over column and fused to it near base; lateral sepals whitish, wide-spreading. Petals similar to sepals. Labellum much shorter and more or less obscured by overhanging dorsal sepal, shortly clawed, semi-erect; disc broad-oblong, mid-lobe narrow and recurved, bearing transverse red to maroon stripes, calli shortly stipitate, spheroidal, yellow, aligned in 2–4 longitudinal rows, extending inwards from broader part of mid-lobe. Column elongate, curved, winged throughout, the wings, membranous, upturned and more or less dentate-lobed above anther, reddish inside pale outside. Anther terminal incurved, pollinia mealy; stigma prominent, rostellum 2-lobed
Similar taxa
On account of its whitish flowers with their externally glandular pubescent covering Adenochilus is most often confused with species of Caladenia R.Br., from which genus it is easily recognised by its rhizomatous, non-tuberous growth habit, and by its separate, ovate, ovate-oblong, petiolate and cauline leaves. Caladenia have 1–(2) linear, linear-lanceolate or lanceolate hairy leaves.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Coromandel Range south), South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands.
Habitat
In the northern part of its range usually montane otherwise widespread in lowland to alpine habitats. A species of thick moss mats or deep drifts of semi-decomposed leaf litter under forest, subalpine scrub or in sphagnum moss bordering wetlands. Often found in exotic forests, particularly pine plantations.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Orchidaceae
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–March
Fruiting
December–May
Life cycle and dispersal
Minute seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult—should not be removed from the wild.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FAC: Facultative
Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
adenochilus: From the Greek aden ‘gland’ and cheilos ‘lip’
gracilis: Slender
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
ADEGRA
Chromosome number
2n = 38
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Moore LB, Edgar E. 1970. Flora of New Zealand, Volume II. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Monocotyledones except Gramineae. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 354 p.
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
Attribution
Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1980).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Adenochilus gracilis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/adenochilus-gracilis/ (Date website was queried)