Acianthus fornicatus

Pixie Caps

Family:            Orchidaceae 

Plant:              A common terrestrial orchid 10-20cm high.

Flowers:         1-10 insect-like flowers about 1cm long and 5-7mm wide with pointed segments in a raceme at the end of an erect 10-20cm stalk. The dorsal sepal is a translucent pinkish hood and the labellum is green or dark purplish red with a thick warty callus.

Flowering:      May-August.

Fruit:               Green capsule

Leaves:          Solitary, basal, heart-shaped 1-4cm long and 1-3cm wide and located just above the soil level. The leaves are green on top and purplish-red on the underside.

Habitat:           Forms large colonies in both wet and dry sclerophyll forest.

Features:       Heart-shaped leaves just above soil level. Leaves green on top and purplish-red on the underside. Translucent pinkish hood on flowers and pointed flower segments.

Name:

Acianthus      From Greek akis = a sharp point and anthos = a flower (referring to its finely pointed flower segments).

fornicatus      From Latin fornicus = hooded and atus = like (referring to its arched dorsal sepal).

Search Criteria

 

Type

Herb

Flowers

Form

Irregular, Cluster

 

Colour(s)

Pink, Green, Purple

 

Petal/Sepal No.

6

 

Flowering Month

5, 6, 7, 8

Fruit

Type       

Capsule  

 

Colour

Green     

 

Other Features

-

Leaves

Arrangement

Basal

 

Type       

Simple

 

Shape

Heart-shaped

 

Length    

Short

 

Margins  

Entire      

 

Attachment

Unstalked

 

Other Features

Discolorous

Bark

-

Habitat    

Wet sclerophyll forest,

 

Dry sclerophyll forest