Rhizanthella johnstonii K.W.Dixon & Christenh.

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Rhizanthella johnstonii, commonly known as south coast underground orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a subterranean herb that has a horizontal rhizome and a head of up to sixty small white flowers with a pink tinge, surrounded by relatively large, cream-coloured to pale pinkish cream bracts.

Description

Rhizanthella johnstonii is a leafless, sympodial, subterranean herb with a horizontal rhizome 60–120 mm (2.4–4.7 in) below the soil surface with an erect peduncle up to 60 cm (24 in) long. Up to sixty small, white flowers tinged with pink are arranged in eight to twelve spiral rows, each with six to eight flowers 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide, surrounded by six to eight cream-coloured to pale pinkish cream bracts. In other respects, it is similar to R. gardneri.

Taxonomy and naming

Rhizanthella johnstonii was first formally described in 2018 by Kingsley Dixon and Maarten Christenhusz in the journal Phytotaxa from specimens collected near a tributary of the Oldfield River by Alex George in 1979. The specific epithet (johnstonii) honours Lionel Johnston for his support to the author Dixon.

Distribution and habitat

Rhizanthella johnstonii is only known from the area around Munglinup where it grows in association with Melaleuca uncinata, M. hamata and an unnamed melaleuca of the M. uncinata complex.

[Munglinup is a small town located in the Shire of Ravensthorpe in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia.

The town lies on the South Coast Highway between Ravensthorpe and Esperance and close to the Munglinup River. The river for most of its course defines the boundary of the Esperance and Ravensthorpe shires. At the Oldfield Estuary, the boundary goes to the eastern shore.

The word Munglinup is Noongar in origin and means where young people met their in-laws. The name first appears on maps made by the Dempster brothers, early settlers of the area in 1868.

The region was first opened up for farming in the late 1950s. By the early 1960s, the community asked for a townsite between Esperance and Ravensthorpe to be considered. The townsite was surveyed in 1961 and gazetted in 1962.

The surrounding areas produce wheat and other cereal crops. The town is a receival site for Cooperative Bulk Handling.]

 

Rhizanthella johnstonii - Wikipedia