Genoplesium ruppii (R.S.Rogers) D.L.Jones APNI* Synonyms: Corunastylis ruppii (R.S.Rogers) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. APNI*
Prasophyllum ruppii R.S.Rogers APNI*
Description: Terrestrial tuberous herb.
Leaf terete, 10–18 cm long, c. 0.15 cm wide, dark green; base reddish; lamina sheathing the scape or distally free, subulate, 8–15 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, ending 10–20 mm below the first flower.
Inflorescence 8–15 cm tall, bearing 10- 25 or more flowers in a moderately dense spike 15–30 mm long. Flowers deflexed, c. 4 mm diameter, greenish with a dark purple labellum; lateral sepals obliquely erect. Floral bracts closely sheathing, transversely oblong, c 0.8 mm long, c. 1 mm wide, almost trifid, broadly obtuse. Ovary linear-obovoid, curved, c. 2.7 mm long, asymmetrically arcuate. Dorsal sepal cucullate, broadly ovate to broadly ovate-lanceolate, 2.7–3 mm long, c. 2.5 mm wide, deeply concave; margins with numerous short glandular cilia; apex acuminate. Lateral sepals obliquely erect, narrowly oblong lanceolate, 4.5–5 mm long, c. 1.2 mm wide, slightly gibbous at the base, divergent; distal margins involute; apex subacute with a vestigial linear-falcate gland. Petals widely spreading, ovate-landeolate, 2.3–2.5 mm long, c. 1.2 mm wide; margins with numerous short glandular cilia; apex long acuminate. Labellum hinged by a short claw, porrect to deflexed, not mobile in a breeze; lamina broadly ovate-elliptic, c. 2.5 mm long, c. 1.6 mm wide, fleshy; margins with numerous short (c. 0.2 mm long), multiseriate filiform cilia whose apical cell is glandular, dark purple cilia; apex acute to acuminate; callus occupying less than half the area of the ventral surface of the lamina, extending to within 0.8 mm of the labellum apex, dark purplish-black, colluviate, thickest and broadest near the middle then tapered to an obtuse apex. Column c. 2.2 mm long, c. 1.4 mm wide, purplish. Column foot ligulate, c. 0.7 mm long, the apex incurved. Column wings notched about halfway; lobes unequal, not divergent; upper lobe shorter, oblong to slightly triangular, paler, apex rounded to obtuse, margins entire; lower lobe longer, lanceolate, dark purplish, acuminate, curved, the lower margins densely and irregularly papillose, with papillae to 200 mm long. Anther c. 0.8 mm long, with a filiform rostrum c. 0.3 mm long. Pollinarium c. 0.8 mm long. Stigma ovate-elliptic, c. 0.7 mm long, c. 0.5 mm wide.
Flowering: Recorded flowering in January and through to April
Distribution and occurrence: Genoplesium ruppii grows in a range of habitats associated with poorly drained sites including Melaleuca forests and woodlands, Themeda grassland; and within forests.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC
Genoplesium ruppii can be recognised by the 1) short multicellular glandular trichomes on the margins of the dorsal sepal, petals, and labellum; 2) the ovate labellum with papillose surface; 3) the flowers green with a dark purple labellum. Genoplesium ruppii is similar to G. woolsii, but has green flowers with a dark purple labellum, whereas G. woolsii flowers are dark purple throughout.
Text by Description based on D.L.Jones (2001), with modification by M.A.M.Renner (10 May 2020).
Taxon concept: Jones DL (2001) Six new species and a new combination in Genoplesium R.Br. (Orchidaceae) from eastern Australia. The Orchadian 13(7): 293-307.
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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