Synonyms: Corunastylis Fitzg. APNI*
Description: Terrestrial herbs, sympodial; roots subterranean, filamentous; tuberoids paired.
Leaves well-developed and green or rarely reduced and reddish, basal, 1 per shoot, cylindrical, hollow, not petiolate.
Inflorescence racemose or spicate, many-flowered, terminal, emerging through a slit near the tip of the leaf. Flowers not resupinate. Dorsal sepal free, often cucullate, shorter than, and usually slightly broader than lateral sepals. Lateral sepals free but often basally coherent. Lateral petals free, shorter and narrower than dorsal sepal. Labellum free, attached to the column foot by a short, flexible claw so that it is mobile; lamina not lobed, with entire or finely toothed margins, with a single, 1- or 2-lobed callus extending from the base and often covering most of the lamina. Column lacking free filament and style, stubby; column wings fused basally to column but apically forming prominent, free, lateral, entire to 2-lobed arms. Column foot shorter than the column. Anther erect, usually slightly decurved, persistent. Pollinia 4, in 2 caudicle-bearing pairs, granular. Stigma entire. Rostellum ventral. Ovary usually decurved.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 40 species, Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia. Australia: 39 species(37 species endemic), all States except N.T.
We have chosen not to recognise the transfer of all but one species of Genoplesium to Corunastylis, proposed by Jones and Clements (2002, Orchadian 13: 437-468), until adequate phylogenetic evidence is published showing that these changes are necessary. Jones and Clements (2002) claimed that the phylogenetic analysis of Clements et al. (2002, Lindleyana 17: 135-171) supported this decision. However, that analysis sampled only three species of Genoplesium out of 48 then known. Furthermore, it showed Genoplesium to be paraphyletic to Prasophyllum with only minimal support. Analysis of a larger sample of species and significant evidential support is required before recognition of Corunastylis can be justified (P.H. Weston March 2007).
Text by D. L. Jones
Taxon concept: D. L. Jones (1993, Flora of New South Wales vol. 4)
Taxa not yet included in identification key
Genoplesium anthracinum,
Genoplesium arrectum,
Genoplesium bishopii,
Genoplesium carectum,
Genoplesium clivicola,
Genoplesium cuspidatum,
Genoplesium densum ined.,
Genoplesium ectopum,
Genoplesium formosum,
Genoplesium geminatum,
Genoplesium insigne,
Genoplesium laminatum ined.,
Genoplesium littorale,
Genoplesium morrisii,
Genoplesium mucronatum,
Genoplesium oliganthum,
Genoplesium ruppii,
Genoplesium sp. Charmhaven (NSW896673),
Genoplesium stephensonii,
Genoplesium trifidum,
Genoplesium vernale
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Plants saprophytic, fleshy, brittle; lateral sepals much longer than dorsal sepal | Genoplesium baueri |
| Plants non-saprophytic, neither fleshy nor brittle; lateral sepals about as long as dorsal sepal or slightly longer | 2 |
| 2 | Flowers lacking cilia on any segment, labellum margins sometimes irregular or finely toothed but never ciliate | 3 |
| Flowers ciliate on at least one floral segment
Back to 1 | 8 |
| 3 | Free part of leaf lamina arising among the lower flowers and projecting conspicuously outwards | Genoplesium nudiscapum |
| Free part of leaf lamina ending well short of lowest flower, usually appressed to peduncle
Back to 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Flowers c. 1.5 mm across; labellum c. 1.5 mm long, dorsal sepal and petals striped or banded | Genoplesium pedersonii |
| Flowers 2.5–4 mm across; labellum 2 mm or more long, dorsal sepals and petals not striped or banded
Back to 3 | 5 |
| 5 | Labellum apex acuminate to long-acuminate | Genoplesium despectans |
| Labellum apex obtuse to acute
Back to 4 | 6 |
| 6 | Flowers wholly red to reddish brown, rarely with some greenish markings | Genoplesium rufum |
| Sepals and petals green to yellowish green, sometimes with a few red markings
Back to 5 | 7 |
| 7 | Labellum green to yellowish green; coastal and near-coastal habitats | Genoplesium pumilum |
| Labellum dark purplish black; inland districts
Back to 6 | Genoplesium nigricans |
| 8 | Cilia confined to labellum margins | 9 |
| Cilia present on labellum and at least one other tepalline whorl
Back to 2 | 14 |
| 9 | Flowers 2–3 mm across; labellum cilia 0.1–0.2 mm long | Genoplesium nudum |
| Flowers 4–6 mm across; labellum cilia more than 0.5 mm long
Back to 8 | 10 |
| 10 | Flowers wholly purple to purplish black | 11 |
| Flowers green to greenish brown with stripes on the dorsal sepal and petals, labellum wholly reddish purple or reddish towards the apex
Back to 9 | 13 |
| 11 | Labellum c. 2 mm long and 1.3 mm wide, margins sparsely ciliate; subalpine swamps | Genoplesium turfosum |
| Labellum more than 3 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, margins densely ciliate; lowland to montane sclerophyll forest
Back to 10 | 12 |
| 12 | Lateral sepals parallel or slightly divergent; labellum obovate, cilia 0.3–0.5 mm long | Genoplesium rhyoliticum |
| Lateral sepals widely divergent; labellum ovate, cilia 0.5–1 mm long
Back to 11 | Genoplesium archeri |
| 13 | Lateral sepals 7.5–9 mm long; labellum oblong, 5–5.5 mm long | Genoplesium plumosum |
| Lateral sepals 5–6 mm long; labellum obovate, 3.5–4 mm long
Back to 10 | Genoplesium sagittiferum |
| 14 | Cilia present on labellum and petals but not dorsal sepal | 15 |
| Cilia present on labellum, petals and dorsal sepal
Back to 8 | 16 |
| 15 | Lateral sepals obliquely deflexed; petals with numerous cilia | Genoplesium morinum |
| Lateral sepals erect; petals sparsely ciliate
Back to 14 | Genoplesium archeri |
| 16 | Cilia 0.1–0.2 mm long, often glandular | 17 |
| Cilia more than 0.5 mm long, coarse and often tangled, non-glandular
Back to 14 | 19 |
| 17 | Lateral sepals erect; labellum thin-textured, narrow-obovate | Genoplesium filiforme |
| Lateral sepals obliquely deflexed; labellum thick and fleshy, broad-ovate to broad-obovate
Back to 16 | 18 |
| 18 | Flowers 2–3.3 mm across; labellum 1.5–2 mm long; rare species confined to Mt Wilson (Blue Mtns) | Genoplesium eriochilum |
| Flowers 4–6 mm across; labellum 2.5–4 mm long; widespread in central districts
Back to 17 | Genoplesium woollsii |
| 19 | Labellum cilia reddish, pinkish or pinkish mauve | 20 |
| Labellum cilia dark brown or purplish black
Back to 16 | 22 |
| 20 | Lateral sepals 9–10 mm long, dark pinkish purple | Genoplesium superbum |
| Lateral sepals 5–6.5 mm long, green
Back to 19 | 21 |
| 21 | Labellum hinged and motile, flowers opening widely; all perianth segments present | Genoplesium fimbriatum |
| Labellum fixed, immobile, flowers cleistogamous or opening tardily; one or more perianth segments often absent
Back to 20 | Genoplesium apostasioides |
| 22 | Labellum broadest towards the base | 23 |
| Labellum broadest at or above the middle
Back to 19 | 24 |
| 23 | Labellum ovate to lanceolate, callus extending about half way to labellum apex; coastal and near-coastal districts | Genoplesium acuminatum |
| Labellum narrow-ovate, callus extending to the labellum apex; inland ranges
Back to 22 | Genoplesium systenum |
| 24 | Flowers c. 5 mm across, strongly lemon-scented | Genoplesium citriodorum |
| Flowers c. 7–8 mm across, not lemon-scented
Back to 22 | 25 |
| 25 | Labellum narrow-obovate to narrow-spathulate, usually 5–6 mm long and 2 mm wide | Genoplesium simulans |
| Labellum narrow-elliptic, usually 4–5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide
Back to 24 | Genoplesium ostrinum |
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