NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE

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Synonyms: Genoplesium anthracinum ined. (D.L.Jones) APNI*
Corunastylis anthracina D.L.Jones APNI*

Description: Terrestrial tuberous herb.

Leaf terete, 10–20 cm long, 1.5 mm wide, base reddish; free lamina linear-lanceolate, 15–30 mm long by 1.5–2.5 mm wide, closely sheathing the scape, ending around 10–30 mm below the first flower.

Inflorescence 15–30 cm tall, bearing 8–30 flowers in a crowded spike 15–40 mm long. Flowers deflexed, c. 5.5 mm wide, coal black, lacking obvious scent. Floral bracts ovate, 1.6 mm long by 1.8 mm wide, closely sheating, slightly tapered toward the obtuse apex. Ovary 3.5 mm long narrowly and asymmetrically obovate, dorsal midline arcuate in lateral view. Dorsal sepal triangular-ovate, margins entire, narrowed at base and apiculate at apex, with an acuminus tipped by a small gland. Lateral sepals 5–6 mm long by 1.3 mm wide, spreading, to erect-spreading, linear-lanceolate, slightly falcate, cucullate in apical third, margins inrolled, apex obtuse, bearing a globose gland. Petals spreading, elliptic ovate, 2.2–2.7 mm long by 1 mm wide, black, margins entire, apex acuminate. Labellum hinged by a short claw, broad-elliptic to elliptic-obovate,2.2–2.6 mm long by 1.0–1.3 mm wide, base truncate, apex acuminate, margins irregularly denticulate, more pronounced toward the apex; callus extending to nearly the labellum apex, ligulate, flared slightly to prominently in the basal third, surface papillate. Column 1.6 mm tall and 1.0–1.3 mm wide, with black wash, column foot 0.5 mm long, curved; column wings isolobous, lobes linear, parallel, separated by a narrow, deep, slit-like sinus, lower lobe blackish, apex acuminate, upper lobe paler, apex acuminate, but outline interrupted on upper side by a broad, obtuse 'tooth'. Anther 0.8 mm long with a filiform rostrum 0.3 mm long.

Flowering: Flowering recorded in April and May

Distribution and occurrence: Coastal northern New South Wales from Wardell to Byron Bay.

Open areas in short heath, in open areas within heath dominated by Banksia ericifolia, tracksides, roadsides, and cemeteries; on well-drained grey sandy loam.
NSW subdivisions: NC

AVH map***

Genoplesium anthracinum can be recognised by 1) the dark coloured, nearly black flowers; 2) the gland tipped dorsal and lateral sepals; 3) the entire dorsal sepal and petal margins; 4) the column arms similar in size and stature, both being linear, and parallel, separated by a deep, narrow sinus.