Microtis unifolia
Common name
onion-leaved orchid, microtis
Synonyms
Ophrys unifolia Forst.f.; Epipactis porrifolia Schwartz; Microtis banksii Hook; Microtis longifolia Col.; Microtis papillosa Col.
Family
Orchidaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Orchids
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.
MICUNI
Chromosome number
2n = 88
Current conservation status
The threat classification status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: S?O
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Indigenous. In New Zealand present on the Kermadec, Three Kings, North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. Exact New Zealand distribution unclear due to confusion with an allied, later flowering entity. Present also in Australia, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and China.
Habitat
Coastal to montane. Widespread in mainly disturbed or successional habitats. Common in urban areas in lawns, verges, roadside banks and cuttings and even amongst moss filled crevices on old buildings.
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).
Features
Terrestrial, glabrous, colony forming, fleshy, tuberous bright green to dark green perennial herb. Plants at flowering up to 1 m tall. Tubers globose to ovoid. Stem erect, terete, often striated. Leaf solitary, usually overtopping inflorescence, bright green to dark green, rarely tinged with red near base, closely sheathing stem for much of length, linear-terete, hollow, up to 800 mm long. Inflorescence a raceme up to 300 x 10 mm. Flowers 6-100, up to 4 mm diameter, shortly-stalked and closely spaced, more or less overlapping. Perianth green, segments up to 2.5 mm long, widely spreading, thick and fleshy. Dorsal sepal 3 mm long, broadly ovate, erect or projecting forwards, cucullate, concave, column-embracing, acute with apex usually slightly turned upwards, smaller than ovary at flowering; lateral sepals much shorter and narrower, acute, strongly deflexed, apices tending to coil under. Petals shorter still, obtuse, erect, usually partially hidden under dorsal sepal. Labellum sessile, up to 2.5 mm long, green or yellow-green, oblong, sharply deflexed or decurved, pinched in at about mid-length to form a slight to obvious waste; apex truncate or slightly emarginate, not apiculate though often folded to appear so; margin papillose and usually also crenate and undulate; anterior callus variously developed, verrucose, rather irregular, often raised on a rounded ridge; basal calli dark green, oval, prominent, and usually continuous at sides with narrow band of callus behind transverse, silt-like (not pouched) furrow; labellum standing away from ovary at a very narrow angle. Column short, obtuse, base of column about as broad as stigma, wings mostly membranous throughout. Anther terminal, erect, situated above stigma, hemispherical, pollinia spheroidal, pollen granular. Stigma broadly ovate; rostellum ovate Capsules broadly ovoid, ovoid-ellipsoid, brown when ripe.
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
Similar taxa
Distinguished from M. parviflora by the more or less oblong rather than triangular labellum. Microtis oligantha is similar but has fewer flowers (up to 10 cf. up to 100); the dorsal sepal of M. unifolia is acute and the apex usually sharply uptilted rather than obtuse with the apex not tilted upwards; M. oligantha has a short-oblong to almost quadrate labellum with shallowly crenate or undulate margins, M. unifolia has a long-oblong labellum usually narrowed at mid-length, and with deeply crenate and unudulose margins. The basal calli of M. oligantha are indistinct and tabular, while those of M. unifolia are oval and prominent.
Flowering
August - November
Flower colours
Green
Fruiting
October - March
Propagation technique
Easily grown and inclined to become invasive. Often present as a pot contaminant in nurseries.
Etymology
microtis: Tiny eared
unifolia: Single leaved
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
TAXONOMIC NOTES
A distinctive late flowering form, which flowers from December - April appears to be unnamed and worthy of specific recognition. NZPCN has not included that entity in this Fact Sheet.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 14 April 2007. Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970).
References and further reading
Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. II. Government Printer, Wellington.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Microtis unifolia Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/microtis-unifolia/ (Date website was queried)