Brachypeza archytas
Encyclopedia
Brachypeza archytas, commonly known as the Sage Orchid, is an epiphytic
orchid. It is endemic to Christmas Island
, an Australia
n territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean
. Its specific epithet honours the Greek philosopher Archytas
.
s. It has 4 or 5 lorate leaves
, 100–220 mm long and 16–26 mm wide, unequally bilobed, forming a fan. The inflorescence
is 150–350 mm long, with a long, angled peduncle
and a rachis
with many densely-spaced, small (8–10 mm) white flowers.
on the island’s lower terraces
where it is often found low down on large tree trunks, such as those of Tristiropsis acutangula
and Gyrocarpus americanus
.
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
orchid. It is endemic to Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
, an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. Its specific epithet honours the Greek philosopher Archytas
Archytas
Archytas was an Ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and strategist. He was a scientist of the Pythagorean school and famous for being the reputed founder of mathematical mechanics, as well as a good friend of Plato....
.
Description
The stems of the orchid are obscured by aerial rootAerial root
Aerial roots are roots above the ground. They are almost always adventitious. They are found in diverse plant species, including epiphytes such as orchids, tropical coastal swamp trees such as mangroves, the resourceful banyan trees, the warm-temperate rainforest rātā and pōhutukawa Aerial roots...
s. It has 4 or 5 lorate leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
, 100–220 mm long and 16–26 mm wide, unequally bilobed, forming a fan. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is 150–350 mm long, with a long, angled peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
and a rachis
Rachis
Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...
with many densely-spaced, small (8–10 mm) white flowers.
Distribution and habitat
Found only on Chritmas Island, the orchid is relatively common, especially in rainforestRainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
on the island’s lower terraces
Marine terrace
A marine terrace, coastal terrace, raised beach or perched coastline is a relatively flat, horizontal or gently inclined surface of marine origin, mostly an old abrasion platform which has been lifted out of the sphere of wave activity . Thus it lies above or under the current sea level, depending...
where it is often found low down on large tree trunks, such as those of Tristiropsis acutangula
Tristiropsis acutangula
Tristiropsis acutangula is a species of flowering plant in the Soapberry family Sapindaceae. It occurs in the Malesian biogeographical region and in northern Australia.-Description:...
and Gyrocarpus americanus
Gyrocarpus americanus
Gyrocarpus americanus is a flowering plant in the Hernandiaceae family with a wide pantropical distribution. It is commonly and variously known as the Helicopter Tree, Propeller Tree, Whirly Whirly Tree, Stinkwood or Shitwood...
.