Acianthus exsertus
R. Br.
Mosquito orchid
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(c) Reiner Richter, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Reiner Richter
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(c) Friends Chiltern Mt Pilot NP, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
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(c) Dion Maple, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dion Maple
Summary
Source: WikipediaAcianthus exsertus, commonly known as gnat orchid or large mosquito orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a terrestrial herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf and up to 25 small, fine, dark brown flowers with pinkish and purplish markings and is found growing in sheltered places in forests in Queensland, New South Wales the ACT and Victoria.
Description
A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.
Edible Uses
The tuber is eaten.
Distribution
It is a tropical and subtropical plant.
Where It Grows
Australia,
Synonyms
References (2)
- Lim, T. K., 2015, Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants. Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs. Springer p 2
- Steenbeeke, Greg as part of the Plants Directory project. List of plant species from northern NSW that may be used as food plants p 2
