Corsia brassii
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Corsia brassii | ||||||||||||
| P.Royen |
Corsia brassii is a loose leaf green plant type from the family of Corsiaceae . The specific epithet honors the plant collector Leonard John Brass (1900–1971).
features
Like all species of the genus also has Corsia brassii the photosynthesis abandoned and therefore forms no chlorophyll more. Instead, it lives myco-heterotrophically on a fungus .
Corsia brassii is a perennial plant that only grows above ground during flowering. A 20 to 25 centimeter long, cylindrical, finely fluted and brownish-purple stalk sprouts from the rhizome . The foliage is 12 to 17 millimeters long, 3 to 4 millimeters wide, brownish-purple and five-nerved. The bracts are the same as the leaves.
The upright individual flowers are terminal and stand on flower stalks that are 2 to 2.5 centimeters long, cylindrical and narrowly fluted. Of the six petals (three tepals each in two petal circles), five are linear, creamy yellow, with a brownish purple tinge towards the rounded tip, 14 millimeters long, 1.5 to 2 millimeters wide, spear-shaped at the base, one or three-veined and partially fine papillae .
The top sixth, the so-called labellum , is brown-purple, broadly heart-shaped, rounded at the tip and greatly enlarged (around 16 millimeters long and 12 millimeters wide), its base is heart-shaped. The callus is umbrella-shaped and consists of two curved halves, from which short, lamellar, finely hairy calli radiate onto the labellum.
At the base, the labellum is directly fused with the approximately 0.5 millimeter long and smooth gynostemium . Like the anthers, the free stamens are 1 millimeter long. The smooth ovary is up to 15 millimeters long, the smooth capsule fruit around 20 millimeters.
Distribution area
Corsia brassii was found only once in New Guinea in 1935 on Mount Dayman in Milne Bay Province at an altitude of 900 m.
Systematics
Corsia brassii was first described by Pieter van Royen in 1972 and is close to the species Corsia cordata and Corsia papuana . Like this, it is placed in the sessilis section , since the labellum is directly fused with the gynostemium.
proof
- Pieter van Royen : Sertulum Papuanum 17. Corsiaceae of New Guinea and surrounding areas. In: Webbia. 27: 223-255, 1972