Genoplesium mucronatum

Genoplesium mucronatum is a species of small terrestrial orchid endemic to eastern New South Wales. It has a single leaf fused to the flowering stem and between six and twelve green and reddish-purple flowers.

Description

Genoplesium mucronatum is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single leaf sheathing the flowering stem. Between six and twelve green and reddish-purple flowers are arranged along a flowering stem up to high. The flowers are inverted so that the labellum is above the column rather than below it. The dorsal sepal forms a hood over the column and is about long, the lateral sepals are linear, about long and spread widely apart with a club-shaped gland at the tip and swollen at the base. The petals are triangular to lance-shaped, scarcely long with a pointed or tapering tip. The labellum is about long with a winged column.

Taxonomy and naming

This species of orchid was first formally described in 1948 by Herman Montague Rupp, who gave it the name Prasophyllum mucronatum in The [Victorian Naturalist] from specimens collected at Woodford, [New South Wales|Woodford] in the same year. In 2022, Matthew [Anton Martyn Renner|Matthew Renner] changed the name to Genoplesium mucronatum in the journal Telopea and the name is accepted by Plants of [the World Online]. The name is listed as a synonym of Genoplesium rufum at the National Herbarium of New South Wales and the Australian [Plant Name Index].

Distribution and habitat

Genoplesium mucronatum occurs in eastern New South Wales.