Chiloglottis trapeziformis [Broad Lipped Bird Orchid]

[DaveO]

 

Oldfield, D. 2022. Chiloglottis trapeziformis  Fitzg. (Orchidaceae) Broad Lipped Bird Orchid. Flowers photographed in visible and ultraviolet light. LINK

 

Maldon, Victoria, Australia

19 October 2016

Australian Native Wildflower as Garden Specimen

 

Comment

Chiloglottis trapeziformis occurs in south-eastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria. It was first formally described in 1877 by Robert D. Fitzgerald.

 

Visible Light: Nikon D750 Full Spectrum Modification, Nikon Rayfact PF10545 MF-UV 105 mm f/4.5 lens, Metz 15 MS-1 flash, 1/200 s @ f/16 ISO 200, Baader UV/IR Cut Filter.

 

Image Reference: DO66359

 

Ultraviolet Light: Nikon D750 Full Spectrum Modification, Nikon Rayfact PF10545 MF-UV 105 mm f/4.5 lens, Nissin Di866 Mark II flash, 1/200 s @ f/16 ISO 200, Baader UV-Pass Filter.

 

Image Reference: DO66361

 

Ultraviolet Induced Visible Fluorescence: Nikon D750 Full Spectrum Modification, Nikon Rayfact PF10545 MF-UV 105 mm f/4.5 lens with Baader UV/IR Cut Filter, Nichia NCSU033A UV-LED with Baader UV-Pass Filter, 10.0 s @ f/16 ISO 1600.

 

Image Reference: DO66363

 

Reference:

 

Elliott, W.R. and Jones, D.L. Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants suitable for cultivation, Volume 3, 1984, Lothian, p. 25.

 

Published 26 January 2022.

[colinbm]

More beautiful flowers from you Dave.

[Andrea B.]

I love this orchid's bright "nose" in the fluorescent image.

 

While looking up the meaning of chilo and glottis, I stumbled across this paper LINK

which had quite an interesting conclusion about the orchid's use of UV-B light.

 

Conclusions: UV-B light is required for the synthesis of chiloglottones – the semiochemicals used by Chiloglottis orchids to sexually lure their male pollinators. This discovery appears to be the first case to our knowledge where plant floral odour production depends on UV-B radiation at normal levels of sunlight. In the future, identification of the genes and enzymes involved, will allow us to understand better the role of UV-B light in the biosynthesis of chiloglottones.

[Andrea B.]

forgot....

The Orchidist's Glossary at https://www.aos.org/orchids/orchidists-glossary/c.aspx

tells us the following.

 

Chiloglottis (kye-lo-GLOTT-is) Brown established the genus of about 23 Australian and New Zealand terrestrial species in 1810. He derived the generic name from two Greek words for "lip" and "gullet" as he felt the lip resembles the human throat.

 

https://www.etymonline.com/word/glottis

"mouth of the windpipe, opening at the top of the larynx," 1570s, from Greek glōttis "mouthpiece of a pipe," from glōtta, Attic dialect variant of glōssa "tongue".

 

chilo:  Combining form of Greek cheîlos lip.

[DaveO]

We obtained the tubers for this orchid from Nesbitt's nursery in South Australia in February 2016, they germinated in March 2016 and the flowers were photographed in September 2016 but it took me until 2022 to post them. More in the backlog to re-appear some day!

[Andrea B.]

Same thing happens with me. I can photograph new flowers faster than I can post them!!