Gastrodia sesamoides
Encyclopedia
Gastrodia sesamoides is a saprophyte in the Orchid family
. Common names include Potato Orchid, Native Potato, Bell Orchid and Cinnamon Bells.
The Potato Orchid is found in Australia
and New Zealand
. This leafless plant occurs in a variety of habitats; often growing in leaf litter in high rainfall areas. Indigenous Australians
have been known to eat the tubers, hence the potato reference in the common name. The flavour of the tuber is said to resemble that of the beetroot
, though insipid and watery. Within the tubers are beneficial bacteria and fungi. The fungal filaments supply soil nutrients to the plant. And the root bacteria synthesizes nitrogen for the plant. The root tubers may grow to 15 cm (6 in) long and 4 cm (1.5 in) thick.
The original specimen was collected at Sydney
in 1803. But now it is considered rare or extinct near Sydney. Flowering occurs between August and January, on a raceme
. The flowers are self-pollinating and produce an appealing cinnamon-like scent. The flowers are somewhat unusual, as the sepals and petals are fused into a tube. Stems are between 30 and 60 cm (12-24 in) tall.
A difficult plant to grow in cultivation. The fungal and bacterial agents need to be present, and root disturbance is often fatal. Fungicides and fertilizers are to be avoided. A sheltered humus rich situation is preferred. Propagation from seed is not easy, and the collection of seeds in the wild is often illegal.
The specific epithet sesamoides refers to a supposed similarity to the sesame
plant. This species first appeared in scientific literature in the year 1810, in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, authored by the prolific Scottish botanist Robert Brown
.
Orchidaceae
The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
. Common names include Potato Orchid, Native Potato, Bell Orchid and Cinnamon Bells.
The Potato Orchid is found in 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...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. This leafless plant occurs in a variety of habitats; often growing in leaf litter in high rainfall areas. Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
have been known to eat the tubers, hence the potato reference in the common name. The flavour of the tuber is said to resemble that of the beetroot
Beetroot
The beetroot, also known as the table beet, garden beet, red beet or informally simply as beet, is one of the many cultivated varieties of beets and arguably the most commonly encountered variety in North America, Central America and Britain.-Consumption:The usually deep-red roots of beetroot are...
, though insipid and watery. Within the tubers are beneficial bacteria and fungi. The fungal filaments supply soil nutrients to the plant. And the root bacteria synthesizes nitrogen for the plant. The root tubers may grow to 15 cm (6 in) long and 4 cm (1.5 in) thick.
The original specimen was collected at Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1803. But now it is considered rare or extinct near Sydney. Flowering occurs between August and January, on a raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
. The flowers are self-pollinating and produce an appealing cinnamon-like scent. The flowers are somewhat unusual, as the sepals and petals are fused into a tube. Stems are between 30 and 60 cm (12-24 in) tall.
A difficult plant to grow in cultivation. The fungal and bacterial agents need to be present, and root disturbance is often fatal. Fungicides and fertilizers are to be avoided. A sheltered humus rich situation is preferred. Propagation from seed is not easy, and the collection of seeds in the wild is often illegal.
The specific epithet sesamoides refers to a supposed similarity to the sesame
Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
plant. This species first appeared in scientific literature in the year 1810, in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, authored by the prolific Scottish botanist Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
.