Danhatchia australis
Common names
Yoania, Danhatchia
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Orchids
Flower colours
Grey, White
Detailed description
Saprophytic, subterranean, leafless, rhizomatous, perennial herb lacking chlorophyll. Rhizomes buried deep within partially decomposed leaves and leaf mould; 3–5 mm diameter, vermiform, brittle, more or less opaque, pinkish grey coloured, much-branched and interwoven, irregularly bearing tufts of long colourless hairs, and vestigial scale-leaves. Stems erect up to 200 mm tall, unbranched, pale rose-pink, pinkish-grey, pale brown to mushroom grey, glabrescent to glandular-pubescent. Scale-leaves 1–7–(15), 10–15 mm long, chartaceous, much paler than stem, many-nerved, basal scale-leaves semi-tubular, those higher up open-sheathed. Floral bracts similar to scale-leaves. Pedicels very short. Flowers 1–5–(10), suberect. Perianth 6 mm long, brownish or pinkish-grey with white apices, externally more or less glandular-pubescent. Dorsal sepal more or less oblong, slightly concave; lateral sepals similar, more or less spreading. Petals similar, included within sepals. Labellum sessile, orbicular to broadly oblong, column-embracing; base broad, slightly pouched bearing on each side several fleshy hairs and/or elongated calli; median line thickened; sides becoming thick, fleshy and stiff towards apex, externally tuberculate; margins inturned, thin and membranous; mid-lobe minute, orbicular, deeply concave. Column almost as tall as labellum, basally subcylindric becoming winged, wings very narrow; filament broad, rigid; connective slightly produced; anther tall, erect, stationary, each cell with two sets of transversely oblique, closely packed, vermiform, sectile, pollinia; stigma appearing bilobed, often funneliform, with side lobes that flare widely in old flowers; rostellum long, narrow-triangular, wedged between the long pollinia.
Similar taxa
None. It could be confused with Gastrodia which can grow in similar habitats but orchids from that genus have much taller, glabrous, dark brown or black-brown, spotted stems bearing fewer scale-leaves, and larger flowers.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand (see de Lange & Molloy 1998): North Island (recorded from Waipoua south to Mt Pirongia but mainly found north of Waiuku; Te Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier Island, Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island), Mokohinau Islands), South Island (Kaihoka Lakes area, North-west Nelson). Also Australia (New South Wales).
Habitat
Coastal to lowland, in forest dominated by taraire (Beilschmiedia tarairi) and nīkau (Rhopalostylis sapida). This saprophytic orchid grows in deep leaf litter intermixed with a fungus which is mostly associated with nikau. Popular mythology has it that it is exclusively associated with taraire but this is incorrect (see de Lange & Molloy 1998). It has also been collected once growing from amongst dense shrubs of Spanish heather (Erica lusitanica). Easily overlooked as it does not necessarily flower every year, and after heavy flowering plants may rest for several years before flowering again.
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT, EF, TO
Threats
Not threatened in New Zealand—but not very common either, and at risk from orchid collectors.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Orchidaceae
Synonyms
Yoania australis Hatch
Taxonomic notes
Plants discovered in Australia in 2009 and initially assigned to Danhatchia australis were then described as a new species D. novaehollandiae D.L.Jones et M.A.Clem. (Jones & Clements 2018). However, subsequent critical assessment of this species by Orchid experts at the New South Wales Herbarium (NSW, Sydney) can see no valid reason to uphold D. novae-hollandiae (M.A.M. Renner pers. comm.). It is their view, and this is accepted here, that Danhatchia novaehollandiae is the same as D. australis.
http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Danhatchia~australis
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
December–February
Fruiting
December–April
Propagation technique
A saprophytic orchid which is unknown from cultivation. Should not be removed from the wild.
Other information
Etymology
australis: Southern
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.
DANAUS
Chromosome number
2n = 22
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, EF, Sp, TO
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, TO
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
de Lange PJ, Molloy BPJ. 1998. Two new localities for Danhatchia australis (Orchidaceae). New Zealand Botanical Society Newsletter 51(1): 6–9.
Jones DL, Clements MA. 2018. Danhatchia novaehollandiae (Orchidaceae: Goodyerinae), a new species from south-eastern Australia. Australian Orchid Review 83(4): 56–57.
Moore LB, Edgar E. 1970. Flora of New Zealand, Volume II. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Monocotyledones except Gramineae. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 354 p.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 2 March 2007. Description adapted from Moore & Edgar (1970), supplemented with observations obtained from fresh plants and herbarium specimens.
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Danhatchia australis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/danhatchia-australis/ (Date website was queried)