Cooktown orchid
Encyclopedia
The Cooktown Orchid has been the floral emblem of Queensland
since 19 November 1959. It was first described in 1880 as Dendrobium phalaenopsis, then included in Dendrobium bigibbum,
More recently, the D. bigibbum complex has been separated into the genus Vappodes
. The new name of Vappodes phalaenopsis has now been accepted by the World Checklist of Monocotyledons, as a synonym of Dendrobium bigibbum Lindl., Paxton's Fl. Gard. 3: 25 (1852).
The colour of the flowers varies from pinkish-mauve to lavender or purple and sometimes almost white, with the base of the labellum
being a much darker purple.
The plants can grow up to 80 cm in height. The flowers are on canes 10–40 cm long. Flowering time is usually in the dry season between March and July; but sometimes all year in commercial cultivation. The flowers are on racemes 200–400 mm long and are usually lilac-purple, but can be bluish or even white and sometimes pinkish with darker purple labellum without a white spot.
but is now rare in the wild, due to over-collecting by commercial collectors. It is now listed as vulnerable by the EPBC Act.
Valley, west of Cooktown, south to the Font Hills, west of Mount Molloy, in far northern Queensland.
), the Umbrella Tree
(Brassaia (now Schefflera
) actinophylla), and the Wheel-of-Fire (Stenocarpus
sinuatus). The Courier-Mail, a Brisbane
newspaper, sought additional suggestions from its readers, and compiled a list of 13 possibilities. In a public poll, the Cooktown Orchid came in first place, the Red Silky Oak in second, and poinsettia
(Euphorbia pulcherrima), already the floral emblem of the capital city Brisbane, came in third.
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Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
since 19 November 1959. It was first described in 1880 as Dendrobium phalaenopsis, then included in Dendrobium bigibbum,
More recently, the D. bigibbum complex has been separated into the genus Vappodes
Vappodes
Vappodes is a genus of orchids from Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia.-Taxonomy:Vappodes was separated from Dendrobium in 2002. This name change is followed in Jones Jones and Clements...
. The new name of Vappodes phalaenopsis has now been accepted by the World Checklist of Monocotyledons, as a synonym of Dendrobium bigibbum Lindl., Paxton's Fl. Gard. 3: 25 (1852).
Description
This beautiful but variable orchid is closely related to several other species now listed in Vappodes and readily forms hybrids, which are now described under the "named hybrid genus" XVappaculum.The colour of the flowers varies from pinkish-mauve to lavender or purple and sometimes almost white, with the base of the labellum
Labellum
Labellum is the Latin diminutive of labium, meaning lip. These are anatomical terms used descriptively in biology, for example in Entomology and botany.-Botany:...
being a much darker purple.
The plants can grow up to 80 cm in height. The flowers are on canes 10–40 cm long. Flowering time is usually in the dry season between March and July; but sometimes all year in commercial cultivation. The flowers are on racemes 200–400 mm long and are usually lilac-purple, but can be bluish or even white and sometimes pinkish with darker purple labellum without a white spot.
Habitat
It lives in a wide variety of habitats ranging from coastal scrub on trees and rocks, to mangroves, riverine vegetation, rainforest, vine thickets, gullies in open forest and even swamps. It used to be prolific around CooktownCooktown, Queensland
Cooktown is a small town located at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs in 1770. At the 2006 census, Cooktown had a population of 1,336...
but is now rare in the wild, due to over-collecting by commercial collectors. It is now listed as vulnerable by the EPBC Act.
Range
It occurs naturally in a limited area from the Endeavour RiverEndeavour River
The Endeavour River on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia, was named in 1770 by Lt. James Cook, R.N., after he was forced to beach his ship, HM Bark Endeavour, for repairs in the river mouth, after damaging it on Endeavour Reef...
Valley, west of Cooktown, south to the Font Hills, west of Mount Molloy, in far northern Queensland.
Cultivation and uses
Likes a dry, sunny position with a minimum of watering and a temperature not below 13°C. Needs a bush-house in cooler climates. Cultivated plants often have much larger flowers than those in the wild.Queensland State Floral Emblem
Queensland, in preparation for its 1959 Centenary, sought advice what native species would be a good floral emblem. Specifically, the government was looking for an easily grown species found only in Queensland, which was decorative, distinctive, and close to the State colour, maroon. The Cooktown Orchid, which meets these criteria, was one of the four initial suggestions, the others being the Red Silky Oak (Grevillea banksiiGrevillea banksii
Grevillea banksii, known by various common names including Red silky oak, Dwarf silky oak, Banks' grevillea, Byfield waratah and, in Hawaii, Kahili flower or Kahili tree is a plant of the large genus Grevillea in the diverse family Proteaceae...
), the Umbrella Tree
Umbrella tree
Umbrella tree can refer to several items:*Under the Umbrella Tree, a 1986 children's television program*Magnolia tripetala, the umbrella magnolia*Musanga cecropioides, the African corkwood*Polyscias murrayi, an Australian rainforest tree...
(Brassaia (now Schefflera
Schefflera
Schefflera is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly...
) actinophylla), and the Wheel-of-Fire (Stenocarpus
Stenocarpus
Stenocarpus is a genus of around 25 species of woody trees or shrubs of the family Proteaceae, occurring in rainforests of Eastern and monsoonal areas of Northern and North-Western Australia with 2 extending into New Guinea and the Aru Islands, with the greatest diversity occurring in New...
sinuatus). The Courier-Mail, a Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
newspaper, sought additional suggestions from its readers, and compiled a list of 13 possibilities. In a public poll, the Cooktown Orchid came in first place, the Red Silky Oak in second, and poinsettia
Poinsettia
Euphorbia pulcherrima, commonly known as Zack Wood or noche buena, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico and Central America. The name "poinsettia" is after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant into the US in 1825...
(Euphorbia pulcherrima), already the floral emblem of the capital city Brisbane, came in third.
External links
- http://www.naturespowerhouse.info/vsj_gallery.htmMore illustrations of the Cooktown Orchid by Vera Scarth-JohnsonVera Scarth-JohnsonVera Scarth-Johnson, , was a noted botanist and botanical illustrator who is also remembered for her continual efforts to teach others to treasure the flora and environment of Australia and, in particular, the botanically rich region of Cooktown and the Endeavour River Valley, on Cape York...
] - Dendrobium Species Culture: Part 2 - Dendrobium phalaenopsis