Common name: Fairy Lantern
Thismia clavarioides K.R.Thiele APNI* Description: Achlorophyllous little herb with a creeping, fleshy rhizome to 2 mm diam.
Leaves alternate, reduced to colourless scales to 10 mm long, the uppermost enclosing the base of the flower.
Flowers scarcely to fully emergent above ground level, solitary on sinuous scapes to 75 mm long, rather fleshy, colourless or the emergent distal portion dull pale orange to bright orange-red; perianth to 65 mm long (including the dorsal appendages on the perianth lobes); tube (6-)10–13(-16) mm long, (5-)8–9(-12) mm diam., narrowed just above the ovary and below the perianth lobes, inflated in the middle, coarsely 6-ribbed, ribs rugose; outer perianth lobes (3-)9–11(-14) mm long, erect or spreading and slightly recurved, each comprising an attenuate cylindrical bristle enclosed for the lower 2/3 by a prominent recurved wing, the apex of the wing free and forming a small limb adaxially; inner perianth lobes thick, cuneate, broadly fused apically by their cuticles (inseparable without tearing) to form a mitre-like hood above the mouth of the perianth tube with 3 arch-shaped openings, each with a prominent dorsal fleshy, erect or spreading, flexuose, tentacle-like awn (8-)20–25(-43) mm long. Stamens included, colourless; anthers extrorse, laterally connate into a ring, with terminal bristle of anther papillate-clavate. Style short, shortly 3-lobed.
Fruit c. 6 mm diam., fleshy, whitish, ovoid, surrounded by a persistent thickened ring of perianth tissue and persistent style-knob; seeds golden brown, c. 0.3 X 0.25 mm.
Flowering: Spring – summer
Distribution and occurrence: Known only from type locality near Bundanoon (CT). Probably more common but overlooked because of its small size and possible confusion with small fungi. In leaf litter in Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum) rainforest.
NSW subdivisions: CT
Text by K.L. Wilson (2004); edited KL Wilson (Jan 2012; Oct 2012).
Taxon concept: K.R. Thiele and P. Jordan, Telopea 9(4): 765-771 (2002)
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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