# Cryptostylis erecta

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Species of orchid

Bonnet orchid Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Australia Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Monocots Order: Asparagales Family: Orchidaceae Subfamily: Orchidoideae Tribe: Diurideae Genus: Cryptostylis Species: C. erecta Binomial name Cryptostylis erecta R.Br.[1]

***Cryptostylis erecta***, commonly known as the **bonnet orchid** or **tartan tongue orchid**,[2] is an orchid [endemic](/source/Endemism) to south eastern [Australia](/source/Australia). A small and common plant, it has dark green lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves and up to twelve greenish flowers with a large, bonnet-like or hood-like, lilac-coloured [labellum](/source/Labellum_(botany)) with a network of purple veins.

## Description

*Cryptostylis erecta* is a terrestrial, [perennial](/source/Perennial_plant), [deciduous](/source/Deciduous), [herb](/source/Herbaceous_plant) with one to several egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves 60–130 mm (2–5 in) long and 13–30 mm (0.5–1 in) wide on a [petiole](/source/Petiole_(botany)) 10–100 mm (0.4–4 in) long. The leaves are dark green on the upper surface and purple below. Between two and twelve flowers 25–30 mm (0.98–1.2 in) long and 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) wide are borne on a flower spike 300–800 mm (10–30 in) high. The most prominent feature of the flower is its hood- or bonnet-shaped labellum which is 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long and 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) wide, greenish to [lilac](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/#Nounlilac)-coloured with a network of purple or maroon veins and a few purple spots. The base of the labellum is narrow and surrounds the [column](/source/Column_(botany)). The [sepals](/source/Sepal) are green, 18–25 mm (0.7–1 in) and 1.5–2 mm (0.06–0.08 in) and the [petals](/source/Petal) are 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) and about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, all spreading apart from each other. Flowering occurs from September to April.[2][3][4][5]

## Taxonomy and naming

*Cryptostylis erecta* was first formally described in 1810 by [Robert Brown](/source/Robert_Brown_(botanist%2C_born_1773)) and the description was published in *[Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen](/source/Prodromus_Florae_Novae_Hollandiae_et_Insulae_Van_Diemen)*.[6][7] The [specific epithet](/source/Botanical_nomenclature) (*erecta*) is a [Latin](/source/Latin) word meaning "upright".[8]

## Distribution and habitat

The natural habitat of *C. erecta* is on sandy soils, dry [eucalyptus](/source/Eucalyptus) woodlands and heathlands. Its range extends from the [Kroombit Tops National Park](/source/Kroombit_Tops_National_Park) in [Queensland](/source/Queensland) south through [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales) to east [Gippsland](/source/Gippsland) in [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(Australia)). It occurs mostly in coastal districts, although it is also found in the Upper [Blue Mountains](/source/Blue_Mountains_(Australia)).[2][4][5]

## Ecology

Like other Australian members of its genus, it is pollinated by the [ichneumon](/source/Ichneumonidae) wasp known as the orchid dupe wasp (*[Lissopimpla excelsa](/source/Lissopimpla_excelsa)*), the males of which mistake the flower parts for female wasps and copulate with it.[9][10]

## Use in horticulture

*Cryptostylis erecta* has been successfully grown by orchid enthusiasts, but is slow growing. The rhizomes are delicate and resent disturbance, and need to be moist at all times.[11]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-WCSP_1-0)** ["*Cryptostylis erecta*"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200331200111/https://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=52166). *[World Checklist of Selected Plant Families](/source/World_Checklist_of_Selected_Plant_Families) (WCSP)*. [Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew](/source/Royal_Botanic_Gardens%2C_Kew). Archived from [the original](http://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=52166) on March 31, 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-plantnet_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-plantnet_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-plantnet_2-2) Peter H. Weston. ["New South Wales Flora Online: *Cryptostylis erecta*"](http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Cryptostylis~erecta). Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney, Australia.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Les Robinson - Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7318-1211-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7318-1211-0) page 244

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Jones_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Jones_4-1) Jones, David L. (2006). *A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories*. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 268. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1877069124](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1877069124).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RBGV_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RBGV_5-1) Jeanes, Jeff. ["*Cryptostylis erecta*"](https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/4151c020-eba8-465c-9e4f-1c334feb4f4b). Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 4 July 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-APNI_6-0)** ["*Cryptostylis erecta*"](https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/509879). APNI. Retrieved 4 July 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-R.Br._7-0)** Brown, Robert (1810). [*Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/21871#page/185/mode/1up). London. p. 317. Retrieved 4 July 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-RWB_8-0)** Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). *The Composition of Scientific Words*. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 307.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Robert L. Dressler (1993). [*Phylogeny and classification of the orchid family*](https://books.google.com/books?id=4_xL5qOVa-sC&q=cryptostylis&pg=PA134). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 134. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-521-45058-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-521-45058-6). Retrieved 22 November 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Gaskett_10-0)** Gaskett, Anne C. (July 2012). "Floral shape mimicry and variation in sexually deceptive orchids with a shared pollinator". *Biological Journal of the Linnean Society*. **106** (3): 469–481. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01902.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1095-8312.2012.01902.x).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Pidgeon_11-0)** Pridgeon, Alec M.; Cribb, P.J.; Chase, M.A.; Rasmussen, F., eds. (2001). [*Genera Orchidacearum 2*](https://books.google.com/books?id=jNFvwlGdTEcC&q=cryptostylis&pg=PA118). Oxford University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-19-850710-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-19-850710-0). Retrieved 22 November 2010.

Taxon identifiers Cryptostylis erecta Wikidata: Q5191069 Wikispecies: Cryptostylis erecta APNI: 88995 BOLD: 412881 CoL: 6BNJV EoL: 1092531 FoAO2: Cryptostylis erecta GBIF: 2806929 iNaturalist: 321094 IPNI: 624749-1 NCBI: 152860 Open Tree of Life: 114402 Plant List: kew-52166 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:624749-1 Species+: 79925 Tropicos: 50038033 VicFlora: 4151c020-eba8-465c-9e4f-1c334feb4f4b WFO: wfo-0000933379

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cryptostylis erecta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptostylis_erecta) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptostylis_erecta?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.