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Genoplesium superbum D.L.Jones
Family Orchidaceae
Genoplesium superbum D.L.Jones APNI*

Synonyms: Corunastylis superba (D.L.Jones) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. APNI*

Description: Terrestrial herb 17–23 cm high.

Inflorescence not crowded, 2.5–6 cm long, 4–15-flowered.

Flowers c. 12 mm across. Dorsal sepal ovate, c. 5.5 mm long, c. 3 mm wide, striped, margins ciliate. Lateral sepals dark pinkish purple, linear to lanceolate, c. 10 mm long, c. 1.3 mm wide, slightly gibbous at the base, widely divergent. Petals ovate lanceolate, c. 5 mm long, c. 1.8 mm wide, striped, long-acuminate, margins ciliate. Labellum linear to obovate, c. 7.5 mm long, c. 3 mm wide, margins with numerous, coarse, pinkish mauve cilia c. 2 mm long; callus narrow-ovate, extending about half way to the labellum apex. Column c. 2.5 mm long, with a foot c. 0.8 mm long. Column wings deeply divided by a narrow sinus extending more than halfway to the base of the wing into two narrow triangular lobes; lower lobe more or less parallel-sided in basal half, then tapered to an acuminate apex, with ciliolate lower margin; upper lobe ligulate, evenly tapered, with a rounded, obtuse, or emarginate apex and entire margins. Anther c. 1.2 mm long with a filiform rostrum c. 0.6 mm long.


Flowering: Flowering has been recorded from December through to March.

Distribution and occurrence: Grows among low shrubs in open areas of forest; restricted to the Nowra-Braidwood district.
NSW subdivisions: SC, CT, ST

Threatened species: NSW BCA: Endangered
AVH map***

Genoplesium superbum can be recognised by the following combination of characters: 1) the large flowers around 12 mm wide; 2) the presence of marginal trichomes on the dorsal sepal, petals and labellum; 3) the labellum trichomes pink-mauve in colour, 4) the labellum trichomes relatively long, up to 2 mm, in the antical third of the labellum margin; 5) the labellum callus extending around half-way along the labellum; and 6) the deeply divided column wing, resulting in two long narrow lobes. This combination of characters should distinguish it from all similar species, including G. fimbriatum, G. ostrinum, G. morrisii, G. rhyoliticum, and G. simulans.

Text by D. L. Jones (1991, 1993) with additions and modification by Matt A.M. Renner (17 June 2020).
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993); Jones (1991) New taxa of Australian Orchidaceae. Australian Orchid Research 2: 1-208.


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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