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Aporostylis Rupp and Hatch.
Description. A monotypic genus confined to New Zealand and the outlying islands. It's affinities with Caladenia and with Chiloglottis are obvious, yet the character of the column separates it from both. It may have originated as an intergeneric hybrid between early forms of these two genera. The description of the species is also that of the genus.
Aporostylis bifolia (Hook. f.) Rupp and Hatch. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 70, 1945, 61.
Orch. No. 5, Hook. f., Fl. Ant., 1, 1844, 70.
Caladenia bifolia Hook. f., Fl. Nov. Zel., 1, 1853, 247.
C. macrophylla Col., Trans. N.Z. Inst., 27, 1895, 896.
Chiloplottis traversii F. v. M., Veg. Chath. Is., 1864, 51.
Ch. bifolia (Hook. f.) Schltr., Engl. Bot. Jahrb., 45, 1911, 383.
A terrestial herb with small globular tubers. Exceedingly variable, up to 25 cm. high. Pubescent, hirsute or glabrous. Surface bract prominent, broad, acuminate, stem bracts absent. Leaves 2, often equal, but the lower usually larger, broad-linear to almost
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Fig. 1—Aporostylis bifolia, natural size. a, flower from the side; b, labellum from above; c, column from side; d, column from front.
Fig. 2—Townsonia viridis, × 2. e, labellum, column and petals from front; f, ditto from side.
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Fig. 1—Chiloglottis cornuta, natural size. a, flower from side; b, flower from front; c, column and labellum from side; d, seeding plant (reduced).
Fig. 2—Chiloglottis formicifera, natural size. e, flower from side; f, column from front; g, column from side; h, labellum from above; j, labellum from side, (e–j after Fitzgerald.)
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orbicular, up to 15 cm. long by 4 cm. broad, mucronate or the upper often acute. Floral bract loosely sheathing, acute. Flowers 1–2, white or pink. Dorsal sepal erect, broad-lanceolate, acute or obtuse. Lateral sepals broad-linear, acute. Petals narrow-linear, acute. Labellum sessile, ovate, with rounded apex and entire margins, subpetaloid with 2 irregular linear calli near the base. Lamina usually with dark blotches. Column spotted at the base, resembling that of Chioglottis but with the wings neither lobed nor produced behind the anther.
The habit is usually subrosulate and the leaves ovate-orbicular, but when growing in a tall sub-association the leaves tend to become erect and are much longer and narrower. With maturity the elongation of the stem causes the upper leaf to rise away from the lower.
Aporostylis is almost certainly self-fertile.
Distribution. Endemic—4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12a, 13, 14, 15, 16, Chathams and Auckland Islands. Subalpine areas throughout both main islands, descending to sea level in Stewart and the outlying islands.
Sea-level-4,500 ft. Flowers January, small groups or scattered.