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  4. Corybas papa

Corybas papa

Flowering on road-side mudstone bank; Junction Road, Kaiiwi, Whanganui.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 09/09/2018, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Flowering on road-side mudstone bank; Junction Road, Kaiiwi, Whanganui.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 09/09/2019, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Roadside at Mt Messenger, 6/8/95.<br>Photographer: Eric Scanlen, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
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Common names

mudstone spider orchid

Biostatus

Native – Endemic taxon

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Orchids

Flower colours

Green, Violet/Purple

Detailed description

Terrestrial, tuberous, glabrous,summer-green herb forming extensive colonies. Tuberoids globose to ellipsoid on extended roots. Leaf solitary, firm and fleshy, sessile; usually spreading and held flat to the ground surface; lamina 18–40 × 15–35 mm, blunt wedge-shaped to ovate-oblong, sometimes pandurate, apiculate at apex, with apiculus decurved, rounded and cordate at base; midrib slightly grooved above, flat beneath; leaf colour dull green above with purple flecks on margins, on midrib, or overall, silvery beneath. Flowers 1–(2), 10–15 mm long, generally green throughout except for labellum tube, dominated by the labellum, filiform petals and lateral sepals, on a usually purple streaked peduncle 3.0–5.0 × 1.5–2.0 mm. Ovary 5–8 × 2–4 mm, green, sometimes streaked with purple, curved, subtended by two unequal floral bracts, the smaller vestigial to 3 mm long, subulate, the larger 6–10 × 3–5 mm, narrowly ovate-lanceolate, green, equaling the ovary. Dorsal sepal 15–20 × 5–8 mm, exceeding the labellum, lanceolate in outline when flattened, concave, cucullate and arching over the labellum tube, with apex upturned; green, slightly diffused with purple on the veins. Lateral sepals 50–70 × 0.5–1.0 mm at widest point; filiform, greatly exceeding labellum; green, sometimes flecked with purple; suberect to erect and spreading; channelled, and twisted. Petals 40–60 × 0.5–1.0 mm at widest point, usually shorter than lateral sepals, filiform, greatly exceeding labellum, projecting forwards and outwards; channelled, auriculate at base of the column. Auricles short, projecting downwards and forwards, with apertures 1.0–1.5 mm across. Labellum usually green except for labellum tube and upper margins of lamina which are often purple-flushed or streaked; labellum tube 8–10 mm long, erect at first then doubly deflexed through 90°–180°, expanding into the lamina; lamina 6–8 × 8–10 mm, broadly ovate; upper margins folded inwards and overlapping; lower surface spreading, deflexed against ovary; rounded or obtuse with slightly erose margins and a median apiculus; inner surface with scattered minute papillae, veins ridged; throat of labellum tube notched, barely over half-way on lamina. Column 2.5–3.0 mm long, broadest and ridged at base, inclined backwards, minutely winged. Stigma scutiform, 0.7 mm diameter, concave. Anther 1 mm, obtuse. Pollinia 4, united in pairs, 0.6 × 0.4 mm, oblong, mealy, yellow. Capsule 10–16 × 4–6 mm, elliptic, initially green later brown, on greatly elongated peduncle.

Similar taxa

Allied to Corybas rivularis, C. papa is distinguished from that species and indeed all other Corybas by the combination of sessile, bluntly wedge-shaped, usually spotted leaves; relatively small, predominantly green flowers; broad concave dorsal sepal; subequal petals and lateral sepals; doubly deflexed labellum spreading against the ovary, compressed front to back; and with a flared, rounded or obtuse, apiculate lamina.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (seems to be wholly western in distribution from about Port Waikato south to the western Ruahine Range).

Habitat

Coastal to montane (up to 1100 m a.s.l.). Favouring base rich substrates, especially calcaerous mudstones, siltstones (both known as Papa rock), and limestone but also on basalt. Usually in, or near seepages or on the margins of slow-flowing streams

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 | Not Threatened

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Orchidaceae

Authority

Corybas papa Molloy et Irwin

Synonyms

Corysanthes papa (Molloy et Irwin) Szlach.; Nematoceras papa (Molloy et Irwin) Molloy, D.L.Jones et M.A.Clem.

Taxonomic notes

Considerable research is underway to investigate the validity of the segregate genera split from Corybas R.Br. by Jones et al. (2002). Whilst much of that work has yet to be published, on advice from Australian Orchidologists Peter Weston and Stephen Hopper (pers. comm., July 2011, November 2014), all of the segregate genera recognised for New Zealand by Jones et al. (2002) are returned to Corybas.

Lehnebach (2016) made three combinations for those Nematoceras lacking valid names in Corybas. This action now enables the full transfer of Nematoceras back to Corybas. However, as of writing, a formal publication rejecting the segregation of Corybas by Jones et al. (2002) has yet to be published. Lehnebach cites an unpublished PhD (Lyon 2014) that indicates this move is imminent.

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Ecology

Flowering

August–October

Fruiting

October–January

Propagation technique

Difficult—should not be removed from the wild.

Other information

Etymology

corybas: Helmet flower

Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key

Key to native orchids of New Zealand

Chromosome number

2n = 36

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 | Not Threatened

2012 | Not Threatened

2009 | Not Threatened

2004 | Not Threatened

Jump to current conservation status

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

Jones DL, Clements MA, Sharma IK, Mackenzie AM, Molloy BPJ. 2002. Nomenclatural notes arising from studies into the Tribe Diurideae (Orchidaceae). The Orchadian 13(10): 437–468. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/310769#page/2/mode/1up.

Molloy BPJ, Irwin JB. 1996. Two new species of Corybas (Orchidaceae) from New Zealand, and taxonomic notes on C. rivularis and C. orbiculatus. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34(1): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1996.10412686.

Lehnebach, C. 2016: New combinations and a replacement name for three New Zealand spider orchids (Corybas). The New Zealand Native Orchid Journal 139. 4-5.

Lyon SP. 2014. Molecular systematics, biogeography, and mycorrhizal associations in the Acianthinae (Orchidaceae), with a focus on the genus Corybas. PhD Thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. https://asset.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/UAXO3VHO6P7EH8Y/R/file-19145.pdf​​​​​​​.

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 14 April 2007. Description based on Molloy and Irwin (1996).

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Corybas papa Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/corybas-papa/ (Date website was queried)

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