Cooktownia

Cooktownia robertsii
Illustration by the discoverer: Lewis Roberts
Conservation status
Least Concern (NCA)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Genus:	Cooktownia
Species:	C. robertsii
Binomial name
Cooktownia robertsii D.L.Jones

Cooktownia is the name of a monotypic genus which has as its sole member Cooktownia robertsii, or Mystery Orchid, which is a rare ground orchid named in honour of its discoverer, Lewis Roberts, and the fact that it is only found in a very restricted area south of Cooktown, in Far North Queensland, Australia.^[1]

Discovery

Roberts discovered the orchid now known as Cooktownia robertsii near his home in Shipton's flat, near Cooktown, in the 1980s. It was formally described by David Jones, one of Australia’s leading orchid taxonomists, in 1997, and is the only member of the genus Cooktownia.^[2][3]

Description

It has two leaves near ground level, while the green flower is on a thin stem 150-250 mm high. The plant usually flowers between March and May. The small flowers (7-7.5 x 2.5 mm), like the rest of the plant, are green. They have lines on them and have an incurved labellum which is not lobed and has no spur. The flowers are apomictic, that is, they form seeds without fertilisation.^[4]

Range and habitat

The range of Cooktownia is limited to a small area to the south of Cooktown, in tropical far north Queensland, Australia. Although it is highly localised, it can be locally common, and can be easily cultivated and reproduces freely. It is found in open forest in grassy areas in red gravelly or stony loam at altitudes from 300 to 500 metres.

Footnotes

1. ^ Jones (1997), pp. 74, 77
2. ^ Jones (1997), pp. 71-8.
3. ^ Jones (2006), p. 340.
4. ^ Jones (2006), p. 340.

References

• Jones, D. L. (1997) "Cooktownia robertsii, a remarkable new genus and species of Orchidaceae from Australia." Austrobaileya. (1997) 5 (1).
• Jones, David L. (2006). A complete Guide to Native Orchids of Australia, including the island territories. New Holland Publishers, Frenchs Forest, N.S.W. 2086 Australia. ISBN 1-877069-12-4.

External links

• Nature's Powerhouse website contains a gallery of Lewis Roberts' botanical illustrations including Cooktownia robertsii
• The "Australian Orchid Name Index" and "Australian Orchidaceae - Current Genera and Species Checklist" may be downloaded here as pdf files