Wasp Orchids (Chiloglottis)
Description
Chiloglottis, commonly known as wasp orchids, ant orchids or bird orchids, is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae and is found in eastern Australia and New Zealand. Wasp orchids are terrestrial herbs which grow in colonies of genetically identical plants. They usually have two leaves at the base of the plant and a single resupinate ("upside-down") flower. The labellum is more or less diamond-shaped and has calli resembling the body of a wingless female wasp. The genus Chiloglottis was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown. Brown described Chiloglottis diphylla at the same time, making it the type species. The genus name (Chiloglottis) is derived from the Ancient Greek words cheilos meaning "lip":486 and glottis meaning "mouth of the windpipe".
Taxonomic tree
-
Domain: Eukarya
-
-
Kingdom: Plantae
-
-
Phylum:
-
-
Class:
-
-
Order: Asparagales
-
-
Family: Orchidaceae
-
-
Genus: Chiloglottis
-
-
-
-
-
-
