Nervilia crociformis

Trembling nervilia
Nervilia crociformis near Mahabaleshwar
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Genus:	Nervilia
Species:	N. crociformis
Binomial name
Nervilia crociformis (Zoll. & Moritzi) Seidenf.[1]
Synonyms[1]
Bolborchis crociformis Zoll. & Moritzi Pogonia crispata Blume Coelogyne javanica Lindl. Pogonia bollei Rchb.f. Pogonia prainiana King & Pantl. Nervilia crispata (Blume) Schltr. ex K.Schum. & Lauterb. Nervilia fimbriata Schltr. Nervilia bollei (Rchb.f.) Schltr. Nervilia humilis Schltr. Nervilia reniformis Schltr. Nervilia francoisii H.Perrier Nervilia monantha Blatt. & McCann Nervilia bathiei Senghas Nervilia erosa P.J.Cribb Nervilia prainiana (King & Pantl.) Seidenf.

Nervilia crociformis, commonly known as the trembling nervilia[2] or round shield orchid,[3] is a small terrestrial orchid found in South and Southeast Asia and in New Guinea and northern Australia. It has a single short-lived green flower with a white labellum. A more or less circular leaf held horizontally above the ground emerges at the base of the flowering stem after flowering.

Leaves of Nervilia crociformis

Description

Nervilia crociformis is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, sympodial herb which grows in clonal colonies with only a few individuals producing flowers in any one year. A single green flower 25–30 mm (0.98–1.2 in) long and 30–35 mm (1.2–1.4 in) wide is borne on a flowering stem 40–80 mm (2–3 in) tall. The sepals are 16–19 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long and about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide while the petals are similar but slightly shorter. The labellum is white, 15–18 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long with a wide fringe and small, hairy calli. The flower only lasts for two or three days, following which a single leaf develops, including on those plants that did not flower. The leaf is dark green, more or less circular, 40–70 mm (2–3 in) in diameter with about ten radiating veins. Flowering occurs between November and December in Australia and from May to June in India.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Trembling nervilia was first formally described in 1846 by Heinrich Zollinger and Alexander Moritzi who gave it the name Bolborchis crociformis and published the description in the Moritzi's book Systematisches verzeichniss der von H. Zollinger.[1][6] In 1978, Gunnar Seidenfaden changed the name to Nervilia crociformis.[7]

Distribution and habitat

Nervilia crociformis occurs in Tropical Africa, Southern Africa, islands of the western Indian Ocean, Taiwan, the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, Malesia, New Guinea, Queensland, New Caledonia, Samoa and Vanuatu.[1] It grows in moist deciduous forests and on the edges of rainforest.[3][5]

References

1. "Nervilia crociformis". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
2. "Trembling Nervilia". Flowers of India. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
3. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 281. ISBN 1877069124.
4. D.L.Jones; T.Hopley; S.M.Duffy (2010). "Factsheet - Nervilia crociformis". Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
5. "Nervilia crociformis". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
6. Moritzi, Alexander (1846). Systematisches verzeichniss der von H. Zollinger in den jahren 1842–1844. Cited as:Syst. Verz. Solothurn. pp. 89–90. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
7. "Nervilia crociformis". APNI. Retrieved 16 August 2018.