The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Earina autumnalis

Etymology

Earina: springtime
autumnalis: autumn flowering

Common Name(s)

Easter orchid, raupeka

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Earina autumnalis (G.Forst.) Hook.f.

Family

Orchidaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

EARAUT

Structural Class

Orchids

Synonyms

Epidendrum autumnale Forst.f.; Earina suaveolens Lindl.; Earina alba Col.

Distribution

Endemic. North, South, and Stewart Islands

Habitat

Coastal to montane. Epiphytic, rupestral or terrestrial. Mostly on the trunks and branches of forest trees but also on rocks, cliff faces, banks and fallen, moss covered logs.

Features

Epiphytic or rupestral, rhizomatous, perennial, producing numerous leafy, unbranched, long persistent, wiry, cane-like stems up to 1.5 m long. Stems erect if short, pendulous otherwise. Rhizomes extensive, much intertwined and firmly attached to substrate, fleshy, more or less spongy, initially creamy white maturing grey-white, thickly covered with sheathing scale-leaves or their weathered, fibrous remains. Leaf-sheaths closely imbricating, persistent, distichously arranged, 5-14 mm long, 3-4 mm diameter, cylindric to tubular, deeply split, scarcely flattened, each overlapping with and covering the lower third to one half of the leaf-sheath above, exposed surface pale grey with dark margins, weakly and diffusely maculate or not, spots if present orbicular, purple-black. Leaf-sheath junction with leaf lamina distinctly flared. Leaves weakly flexuose usually down-curved in upper portion; lamina persistent, disarticulating at leaf-sheath junction, weakly 1-3-nerved, 40-120 x 5-8 mm, mostly dark glossy green, broadly lanceolate, widest near base, tapering in upper third gradually to broad, subacute tip; lateral veins inconspicuous, midrib of upper lamina deeply and prominently channelled. Inflorescence a racemose panicle. Panicle up to 100 mm long, mostly stiffly erect, rather wiry; racemes numerous, arranged distichously at short intervals up the stiff central axis, each lateral stem to 10 mm long, usually bearing a few crowded, empty bracts and up to 3 sessile flowers. Perianth 13-16 mm diameter, opening widely (flaring), waxy white. Sepals elliptic, slightly keeled subacute. Petals slightly broader and more obtuse. Labellum broad and obtuse, white except for yellow base, standing erect and half enclosing the column, transversely rhomboid, not lobed; distal margins slightly thickened and recurved; base with two crescent-shaped ridges leading down to a small bright yellow or yellow-orange pit-like nectary. Column shorter than labellum, broadest at base, wings minute, present as small lobes about level with the stigma, pollinia clavate. Capsules elliptic-ovoid, ovoid, deeply, longitudinally grooved, dark green maturing grey.

Similar Taxa

Easily distinguished from Earina aestivalis Cheeseman and E. mucronata Lindl. by the virtually unspotted, more or less cylindric leaf-sheath; usually dark green leaves, stiffly erect inflorescences, and strongly pleasantly perfumed, consistently white flowers with broad yellow-based labella.

Flowering

January - June

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

April - August

Propagation Technique

Easily grown in a hanging basket in standard orchid mix. Often can be strapped to a tree trunk and provided it is kept moist during the drier months it grows readily. This species does best in semi-shade. The strongly perfumed flowers are especially attractive. Should not be removed from the wild.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 40

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Minute seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 29 Jan 2015