Common name: Christmas Orchid
Calanthe triplicata (Willemet) Ames APNI* Synonyms: Calanthe veratrifolia (Willd.) R.Br. ex Lindl. APNI*
Calanthe australasica D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. APNI*
Description: Terrestrial to 1.5 m high; pseudobulb 3–8 cm long, 1.5–4 cm diam.
Leaves 4–10 per shoot, 25–90 cm long, 6–18 cm wide; lamina usually narrow-obovate, apex acute to acuminate.
Inflorescences 1 or 2, from the axils of the lower leaves, 30–150 cm long, 18–40-flowered, stiffly erect. Flowers white except for yellow calli on the labellum, bruising to grey on handling and black on drying. Sepals 6–19 mm long, 3.5- 10 mm wide, ovate to obovate. Lateral petals 5–15 mm long, 2–6 mm wide. Labellum lobes 4–15 mm long, 2–6 mm wide; spur 10–30 mm long.
Flowering: October–January
Distribution and occurrence: Grows on the floor of rainforests or occasionally in wet sclerophyll forest, in dense shade, on the coast, coastal ranges and escarpment; north from the Illawarra district, up to c. 1000 m alt.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, LHI
Other Australian states: Qld
Text by P. H. Weston
Taxon concept: P.S. Green (1994)
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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