Chiloglottis formicifera
Common names
ant orchid
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Orchids
Flower colours
Brown, Green
Detailed description
Terrestrial orchid forming dense colonies. Leaves up to 60 × 25 mm, dark green, ovate-lanceolate with undulose margins. Flower stem up to 100 mm tall, bearing a solitary, narrow, flower up to 20 mm diameter, segments mostly dark green with brownish markings, or brownish-green. Perianth segments up to 20 mm long. Dorsal sepal erect and incurved. Lateral sepals recurved in the upper two-thirds, divergent, apex not clavate. Petals either spreading or reflexed against ovary. Labellum up to 12 × 7 mm, trapeziform, greenish to purple-green; lamina callus ant-shaped, central, a band of pink to black glands extending from near the base of the lamina apex; basal transverse glands largest; the upper glands sessile. Fruiting capsules not seen in New Zealand.
Similar taxa
Most similar to Chiloglottis trapeziformis from which it differs by the leaf margins which are usually undulose rather than flat; mostly larger, greenish-brown to brown (rather than green) flower often with purple green tones to the labellum; obliquely erect to erect (rather than erect) rhomboid (rather than truncate to rhomboid) labellum with the callus extending to the labellum apex (rather than confined to the basal portion); much more prominent central ant-shaped lamina callus; and greater calli ornamentation either side of the central callus.
Distribution
In New Zealand known from only one historic site near Kaitaia. Abundant in eastern Australia.
Habitat
The sole New Zealand record came from under dense shrubland. In Australia this species is widespread though often sparsely distributed, and tends to grow near streams in deep drifts of leaf litter.
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.
- 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 | Non-resident Native – Vagrant | Qualifiers: SO
Threats
The only known New Zealand occurrence was eliminated through a combination of habitat loss and over collection by an amateur botanist. Had it survived here it is doubtful if it would have set seed as its pollination vector is absent from New Zealand.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Myrmechila formicifera (Fitzg.) D.L.Jones et M.A.Clem.
Taxonomic notes
Considerable controversy has surrounded the exact identity of the Kaitaia collections (see Scanlen 2003; de Lange et al. 2004)). de Lange et al. (2009, as Myrmechila) agreed with Scanlen (2003) that the Kaitaia collections are not C. (Myrmechila) trapeziformis but are correctly assigned to C. (Myrmechila) formicifera. Research by Miller & Clements (2014) has now shown that the segregate genera Myrmechila and Simpliglottis proposed by Szlachekto (2001) and Jones & Clements (2005) should be reduced to synonymy within Chiloglottis. Their treatment is followed here.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September–November
Fruiting
Fruits apparently not formed in New Zealand
Propagation technique
Easily grown. Plants of Australian origin are held by some New Zealand specialists.
Other information
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.
CHIFOR
Previous conservation statuses
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.
- 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.
2017 | Non-resident Native – Vagrant | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Non-resident Native – Vagrant | Qualifiers: SO
2009 | Non-resident Native – Vagrant | Qualifiers: EW, SO
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
de Lange PJ, Norton DA, Heenan PB, Courtney SP, Molloy BPJ, Ogle CC, Rance BD, Johnson PN, Hitchmough R. 2004. Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(1): 45–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2004.9512890.
de Lange PJ, Norton DA, Courtney SP, Heenan PB, Barkla JW, Cameron EK, Hitchmough RA, Townsend AJ. 2009. Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47(1): 61–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288250909509794.
Jones DL. 1998. Native Orchids of Australia. Reed, Australia.
Jones DL, Clements MA. 2005. Miscellaneous Nomenclatural Notes and Changes in Australian, New Guinea and New Zealand Orchidaceae. The Orchadian 15: 33–42.
Miller JT, Clements MA. 2014. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of Drakaeinae: Diurideae (Orchidaceae) based on DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region. Australian Systematic Botany 27: 3–22. https://doi.org/10.1071/SB13036.
Moore LB, Edgar E. 1970. Flora of New Zealand, Volume II. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Monocotyledones except Gramineae. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 354 p.
Scanlen E. 2003. The Column. 2. Chiloglottis round up. The New Zealand Native Orchid Journal 86: 14–15.
Szlachekto DL. 2001. Genera et Species Orchidalium 1. Polish Botanical Journal 46: 11–26.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 14 April 2007: Description adapted from Jones (1998) and Moore & Edgar (1970).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.