Corsia ornata
Corsia ornata Becc.
Corsia ornata is a flowering plant species in the Corsiaceae family, part of the Liliales order. This species is a myco-heterotroph, relying on other organisms for nutrition and unable to photosynthesize. It lives underground and produces purplish stems above ground for flowering. The leaves are reduced to scales, and one of the six tepals, the labellum, is enlarged and protective over the reproductive organs. It was first discovered in New Guinea in 1875 and has also been recorded in Queensland, Australia.
Description
Corsia ornata belongs to the genus Corsia in the family Corsiaceae. As a myco-heterotroph, it lacks the ability to photosynthesize and depends on other organisms for nutrients. The plant remains largely underground, with only purplish stems emerging above ground during flowering. Its leaves are reduced to scales, and the labellum, one of the six petal-like tepals, is specialized and enlarged to protect the reproductive structures. The species was first identified in New Guinea in 1875 and has since been documented in Queensland, Australia. It was formally described in 1878 by Beccari.
Distribution
New Guinea · Queensland
