Chiloglottis valida
Common names
bird orchid, ant orchid
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Orchids
Flower colours
Green, Violet/Purple
Detailed description
Terrestrial orchid forming diffuse to dense leaf patches in shaded forests amongst leaf litter and amongst mosses. Flowering plants 40–100 mm tall. Leaves petiolate, 20–50–(100) × 9–30 mm, dark green above, paler beneath, broadly elliptic, margin entire. Flower solitary, greenish-purple to purple-brown. Dorsal sepal 19–25 mm long, erect, incurved, broadly obovate-spathulate. Lateral sepals 16–22 mm long, erect in basal ½ then recurved, divergent or parallel, broadest near the base, tapering to apex. Petals 16–20 mm long, incurved or weakly divergent, asymmetrically ovate-lanceolate. Labellum on short claw, 13–16 mm long, broadly ovate-cordate; calli black, glossy, in central proximal ⅔ of lamina; main central gland stalked, erect and curved forwards, flanked by 1–3–(4) pairs of calli (sometimes sparse present or absent), the basal ones stalked, others sessile, apical gland sessile. Column widely winged in upper half, wing ≥ than anther. Capsule rarely produced in New Zealand plants unless hand fertilised, ellipsoid 10–20 mm long, held well above plant on greatly elongated peduncle.
Similar taxa
Chiloglottis cornuta is somewhat similar but is a much smaller plant with green flowers. The labellum of that species is strongly deltoid. Unlike C. valida which is strictly insect-pollinated, and whose pollination vector is apparently absent in New Zealand, C. cornuta is predominantly selfing, so it freely produces capsules. Both species may be found growing together.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island (Iwitahi Forest), South Island (Richmond Forest, Hanmer Springs and Fiordland). Also Australia.
Habitat
In New Zealand known from old plantation forests at Iwitahi and Hanmer in stands dominated by Pinus nigra Arnold where it has been found in dense colonies amongst drifts of semi-rotted pine needles. Also recorded from the Richmond Range and Fiordland National park where it was found growing mossy logs and leaf litter within mixed beech (Nothofagaceae) forest.
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
Plant collectors and logging of plantation forestry pose the major threats to this species. In both cases neither threat is major because the few accessible sites are well guarded by members of the New Zealand Native Orchid Group. This species does not readily set seed in New Zealand because its insect-pollination vector is apparently absent. However, occasional capsules are formed, and people have hand-pollinated some plants at Iwitahi. Nevertheless the bulk of the wild populations are clonal and the lack of sexual reproductive is the main threat, and also the main reason why it is listed as a vagrant.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Simpliglottis valida (D.L.Jones) Szlach.
Taxonomic notes
Miller & Clements (2014) have shown that the segregate genera Myrmechila and Simpliglottis proposed by Szlachekto (2001) and Jones & Clements (2005) should be reduced to synonymy within Chiloglottis. That treatment is followed here.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–December
Fruiting
January–February (rarely seen in New Zealand populations)
Propagation technique
Easily grown in a cool, moist, deep, well drained, gritty soil, mulched with well rotted pine needles and bark. Does better in dappled light than full sun. An attractive species which flowers readily in cultivation.
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.
CHIVAL
Chromosome number
2n = 40
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: SO
2004 | Non-resident Native – Vagrant
Regional conservation statuses
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Otago: 2024 | Threatened – Regionally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DPT, OL
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Jones DL. 1991. New taxa of Australian Orchidaceae. Australian Orchid Research 2: 43. https://australianorchidfoundation.org.au/australian-orchid-research-volume-2/.
Jones DL, Clements MA. 2005. Miscellaneous Nomenclatural Notes and Changes in Australian, New Guinea and New Zealand Orchidaceae. The Orchadian 15(1): 33–42. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/298513#page/1/mode/1up.
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(1): 3–22. https://doi.org/10.1071/SB13036.
Szlachekto DL. 2001. Genera et Species Orchidalium 1. Polish Botanical Journal 46(1): 11–26.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared fro NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (10 April 2007). Description based on Jones (1991) supplemented with observations made on live plants.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Chiloglottis valida Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/chiloglottis-valida/ (Date website was queried)