Corybas (plant)
Corybas, commonly known as helmet orchids, is a genus of about 120 species of plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Helmet orchids are small, perennial, deciduous herbs and are nearly always terrestrial. They have a single leaf at their base and a single flower on a short stalk, the flower dominated by its large sepal and labellum. Species of Corybas are found in Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, southern China, many Pacific islands and a few sub-Antarctic islands.
Description
Orchids in the genus Corybas are perennial, deciduous, sympodial, usually terrestrial herbs, lacking roots. They have an underground tuber which is more or less spherical and fleshy. New tubers form at the end of root-like stolons. There is a single, heart-shaped, kidney-shaped or almost round leaf, usually at ground level and a short erect stem with a single flower at the top.The flower has a short stalk with a small, leaf-like bract at its base. The flower is resupinate, dull-coloured and resembles the fruiting body of a fungus. The sepal is much larger than the sepals and petals and curves forward, often forming a hood over the column. The lateral sepals and petals are small, linear to almost thread-like. As is usual in orchids, one petal is highly modified as the central labellum and in this genus is often the most obvious part of the flower. The labellum is large, deeply concave or tube-shaped with its base attached to the base of the column and sometimes completely surrounding the column. Sometimes there is a pair of small, ear-like s on either side, near the base. The column is small, enclosed by the base of the labellum and has small wings. In temperate regions, flowering occurs between autumn and spring and in tropical regions in most months. The fruit that follows flowering is a non-fleshy, dehiscent capsule containing up to 500 seeds. As the fruit matures, the flower withers and the flower stem elongates to a length of up to, aiding in seed dispersal.
Taxonomy and naming
Corybas aconitiflorus was first formally described by Richard Salisbury, allegedly from a colour plate prepared by Ferdinand Bauer and thus became the type species for the genus. The description was published in The Paradisus Londinensis. Salisbury stated that the name of the genus was derived from similarity of the flowers to the covered head of the Greek Κορύβας, a male dancer, shown in illustrations wearing a crested helmet, who worshipped the goddess Cybele. Korybas was a priest of Cybele, "whose religious rites were accompanied by frenzied music and dancing". A 2002 revision of Corybas split it into numerous genera, but this is not widely accepted.Ecology
appears to be achieved by small insects, possibly mistaking the unusual flowers for fungi. Helmet orchids have not often been studied, partly because of their short-lived, inconspicuous flowers but also because the flowers are difficult to preserve as herbarium specimens. Many form clonal colonies but it is not known whether this is a characteristic of all species.Distribution and habitat
Helmet orchids grow in India, South China, Taiwan, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, the Philippines, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Ponape, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Samoa and the Society Islands. Australian species usually grow in moist, shady places, often with dense moss or on rotting logs, sometimes with orchids from other genera.Gallery
Species
, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts the following species and natural hybrids:- Corybas abditus D.L.Jones - swamp helmet orchid, small helmet orchid
- Corybas abellianus Dockrill - nodding helmet orchid
- Corybas aberrans P.Royen
- Corybas aconitiflorus Salisb. - cradle orchid, spurred helmet orchid
- Corybas acuminatus M.A.Clem. & Hatch - dancing spider orchid, helmet flower
- Corybas acutus J.Dransf. & J.B.Comber
- Corybas aduncus Schltr.
- Corybas albipurpureus P.Royen
- Corybas amabilis P.Royen
- Corybas amungwiwensis P.Royen
- Corybas annamensis Aver.
- Corybas arachnoideus Schltr.
- Corybas arfakensis Schltr.
- Corybas aristatus Schltr.
- Corybas autumnalis A.P.Br. & D.Edmonds
- Corybas bancanus Schltr.
- Corybas barbarae D.L.Jones - fairy lanterns
- Corybas betchei Schltr.
- Corybas betsyae P.Royen
- Corybas boridiensis P.Royen
- Corybas bryophilus J.J.Sm.
- Corybas calcicola J.Dransf. & G.Sm.
- Corybas callifer Schltr.
- Corybas calopeplos J.Dransf. & G.Sm.
- Corybas calophyllus Schltr.
- Corybas carinatus Schltr.
- Corybas carinulifer P.Royen
- Corybas carsei Hatch - swamp helmet orchid
- Corybas caudatus Holttum
- Corybas cerasinus D.L.Jones & B.Gray - red helmet orchid
- Corybas cheesemanii Kuntze - Cheesemans spider orchid
- Corybas comptus J.Dransf. & G.Sm.
- Corybas confusus Lehnebach - spider orchid
- Corybas crenulatus J.J.Sm.
- Corybas cryptanthus Hatch - hidden spider orchid, icky
- Corybas cyclopensis P.Royen
- Corybas cymatilis P.Royen
- Corybas dentatus D.L.Jones - Lofty Ranges helmet orchid
- Corybas despectans D.L.Jones & R.C.Nash - tiny helmet orchid, sandhill helmet orchid
- Corybas diemenicus Rupp - stately helmet orchid
- Corybas dienemus D.L.Jones - windswept helmet orchid
- Corybas diversifolius S.P.Lyon
- Corybas dowlingii D.L.Jones - red lanterns
- Corybas ecarinatus Anker & Seidenf.
- Corybas echinulus E.Faria
- Corybas ekuamensis P.Royen
- Corybas epiphyticus Schltr.
- Corybas erythrocarpus J.J.Sm.
- Corybas expansus D.L.Jones - flared helmet orchid
- Corybas fanjingshanensis Y.X.Xiong
- Corybas fenestratus P.Royen
- Corybas fimbriatus Rchb.f. - fringed helmet orchid
- Corybas finisterreanus S.P.Lyon
- Corybas fordhamii Rupp - banded helmet orchid
- Corybas fornicatus Rchb.f.
- Corybas gastrosiphon Schltr.
- Corybas geminigibbus J.J.Sm.
- Corybas gemmatus P.J.Cribb & B.A.Lewis
- Corybas gibbifer Schltr.
- Corybas globulus J.M.H.Shaw
- Corybas x halleanus E.Faria
- Corybas helensis S.P.Lyon Schltr.
- Corybas hispidus D.L.Jones - bristly helmet orchid
- Corybas holttumii J.Dransf. & G.Sm.
- Corybas huonensis S.P.Lyon
- Corybas imperatorius Schltr.
- Corybas incurvus D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. - slaty helmet orchid
- Corybas insulifloris P.Royen
- Corybas iridescens Irwin & Molloy - spider orchid, big red
- Corybas karkarensis P.Royen
- Corybas karoensis J.B.Comber & J.Dransf.
- Corybas kinabaluensis Carr
- Corybas klossii Schltr.
- Corybas koresii P.Royen
- Corybas laceratus L.O.Williams
- Corybas ledermannii Schltr.
- Corybas leucotyle Schltr.
- Corybas limpidus D.L.Jones - crystal helmet orchid
- Corybas longipedunculatus P.Royen
- Corybas longipetalus Schltr.
- Corybas macranthus Rchb.f. - spider orchid
- Corybas mammillifer P.Royen
- Corybas mankiensis P.Royen
- Corybas merrillii Ames
- Corybas minimus J.M.H.Shaw
- Corybas minutus Schltr.
- Corybas mirabilis Schltr.
- Corybas × miscellus D.L.Jones - hybrid helmet orchid
- Corybas moluccanus Schltr.
- Corybas montanus D.L.Jones - montane helmet orchid
- Corybas montis-stellaris P.Royen
- Corybas muluensis J.Dransf.
- Corybas muscicola Schltr.
- Corybas nanus P.Royen
- Corybas naviculisepalus P.Royen
- Corybas neocaledonicus Schltr.
- Corybas oblongus Rchb.f. - spider orchid
- Corybas obscurus Lehnebach - spider orchid
- Corybas orbiculatus L.B.Moore - spider orchid
- Corybas palearifer Schltr.
- Corybas papa Molloy & Irwin - mudstone spider orchid
- Corybas pictus Rchb.f.
- Corybas pignalii E.Faria
- Corybas pilifer J.Dransf.
- Corybas ponapensis Hosok. & Fukuy.
- Corybas porphyrus P.Royen
- Corybas praetermissus J.Dransf. & J.B.Comber
- Corybas pruinosus Rchb.f. - toothed helmet orchid
- Corybas puberulus Schltr.
- Corybas puniceus T.P.Lin & W.M.Lin
- Corybas ramosianus J.Dransf.
- Corybas recurvus D.L.Jones - western helmet orchid
- Corybas ridleyanus Schltr.
- Corybas rivularis Rchb.f. - spider orchid, silverback
- Corybas roseus Janch. ex J.J.Sm.
- Corybas rotundifolius Rchb.f. - helmet orchid
- Corybas royenii Kores
- Corybas sanctigeorgianus Lehnebach - St. George's spider orchid
- Corybas saprophyticus Schltr.
- Corybas scutellifer J.B.Comber & J.Dransf.
- Corybas selangorensis J.Dransf. & G.Sm.
- Corybas serpentinus J.Dransf.
- Corybas sexalatus J.J.Sm.
- Corybas simbuensis P.Royen
- Corybas sinii Tang & F.T.Wang
- Corybas smithianus Schltr.
- Corybas solomonensis P.Royen
- Corybas speculum Schltr.
- Corybas stenotribonos J.B.Comber & J.Dransf.
- Corybas striatus Schltr.
- Corybas subalpinus P.Royen
- Corybas sulcatus G.N.Backh. - grooved helmet orchid
- Corybas taiwanensis T.P.Lin & S.Y.Leu
- Corybas taliensis Tang & F.T.Wang
- Corybas torricellensis Schltr.
- Corybas trilobus Rchb.f. – spider orchid
- Corybas umbonatus Schltr.
- Corybas umbrosus J.Dransf. & J.B.Comber
- Corybas undulatus Rupp - tailed helmet orchid
- Corybas unguiculatus Rchb.f. - small helmet orchid, pelicans
- Corybas urikensis P.Royen
- Corybas ventricosus Schltr.
- Corybas vespertilionis P.Royen
- Corybas villosus J.Dransf. & G.Sm.
- Corybas vinosus Schltr.
- Corybas viridisepalus S.P.Lyon
- Corybas vitreus Lehnebach - spider orchid
- Corybas walliae Lehnebach - Zeller's spider orchid