Dockrillia linguiforme

Tongue Orchid
Dockrillia linguiforme growing on Hawkesbury Sandstone, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Tribe:	Podochilaeae
Subtribe:	Dendrobiinae
Genus:	Dockrillia Sw. Brieger
Species:	D. linguiforme
Synonyms
Dendrobium linguiforme Sw. Callista linguiformis (Sw.) Kuntze

Dockrillia linguiforme, the Button Orchid or Tongue Orchid is a common small orchid, growing north from Ulladulla in south eastern New South Wales, Australia. It was originally described as Dendrobium linguiforme by Swedish botanist Olof Swartz in 1800,^[1] and commonly known by this name for many years until given its current name in 1981 by Brieger.^[2] The species name is derived from the Latin words linguis "tongue" and forma "shape".

The habitat is eucalyptus forest or rainforest. However it can survive in drier fire free areas west of the Great Dividing Range such as near Tamworth in northern New South Wales.

The thick and leathery leaves grow from a creeping rhizome, either as an epiphyte on trees or as a lithophyte on rocks. Flowering occurs in September and October.

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  Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Australia

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  Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

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References

1. ^ "Dendrobium linguiforme". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. http://www.anbg.gov.au/cgi-bin/apni?taxon_id=31842. 
2. ^ "Dockrillia linguiformis". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. http://www.anbg.gov.au/cgi-bin/apni?taxon_id=146576. 

• http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Dendrobium~linguiforme retrieved 3 September 2009