# Cyrtostylis

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Genus of plants

For the taxonomic series within the Banksia genus, see [Banksia ser. Cyrtostylis](/source/Banksia_ser._Cyrtostylis).

Gnat orchids The common gnat orchid, Cyrtostylis reniformis Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Monocots Order: Asparagales Family: Orchidaceae Subfamily: Orchidoideae Tribe: Diurideae Subtribe: Acianthinae Genus: Cyrtostylis R.Br.[1] Distribution

***Cyrtostylis***, commonly known as **gnat orchids**, is a [genus](/source/Genus) of five or six species of [flowering plants](/source/Flowering_plant) in the orchid [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Orchidaceae](/source/Orchidaceae) and is [native](/source/Indigenous_(ecology)) to [Australia](/source/Australia) and [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand). Cyrtostylis orchids often form dense colonies of [genetically](/source/Genetics) identical plants. They have a single heart-shaped leaf and a thin flowering stem with pale coloured insect-like flowers. The [lateral](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lateral) [sepals](/source/Sepal) and [petals](/source/Petal) are similar in size and colour but the [labellum](/source/Labellum_(botany)) is shelf-like and conspicuous with two prominent [glands](/source/Gland_(botany)) at its base.

## Description

Orchids in the genus *Cyrtostylis* are terrestrial, [perennial](/source/Perennial_plant), [deciduous](/source/Deciduous), [sympodial](/source/Sympodial) [herbs](/source/Herbaceous_plant), usually with a few inconspicuous, fine roots and one or two [tubers](/source/Tuber). They often form dense colonies of [cloned](/source/Cloning) plants. There is a single green, heart-shaped, ground-hugging leaf at the base of the flowering stem. The thin flowering stem bears one to a few flowers with the [column](/source/Column_(botany)) at the top. The flowers are usually pale coloured with an erect [dorsal](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dorsal) sepal and spreading lateral sepals and petals. The petals and sepals are narrow lance-shaped and about as long as each other and the dorsal sepal. The labellum is stalkless, oblong and about as long as the sepals and petals with two bead-like glands and two ridges along its length. The [column](/source/Column_(botany)) is curved with wings and is about half as long as the labellum.[2][3][4][5]

Orchids in this genus are similar to those in *[Acianthus](/source/Acianthus)* but lack the long [appendage](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/appendage) on the ends of the sepals and petals of that genus. The lateral sepals differ from the petals in *Acianthus*.

## Taxonomy and naming

The genus was first formally described in 1810 by [Robert Brown](/source/Robert_Brown_(botanist%2C_born_1773)) in his *[Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae](/source/Prodromus_Florae_Novae_Hollandiae)*. He described *[Cyrtostylis reniformis](/source/Cyrtostylis_reniformis)* at the same time, making it the [type](/source/Type_(biology)) species.[6][7]

The name *Cyrtostylis* is derived from the Greek words *cyrtos* meaning 'curved' and *stylos*, 'pertaining to the style', referring to the curved column found in all members of this genus.[8]

The [World Checklist of Selected Plant Families](/source/World_Checklist_of_Selected_Plant_Families) lists five species of *Cyrtostlyis* but Australian authorities list six. The difference lies in the interpretation of *[Cyrtostylis huegelii](/source/Cyrtostylis_huegelii)*[2][8][9][10] which the Checklist considers a [synonym](/source/Synonym_(taxonomy)) of *Cyrtostylis reniformis* var. *huegelii*.[11]

- *[Cyrtostylis oblonga](/source/Cyrtostylis_oblonga)* Hook.f. (New Zealand)

- *[Cyrtostylis reniformis](/source/Cyrtostylis_reniformis)* R.Br - common gnat orchid (all 6 states of Australia)

- *[Cyrtostylis robusta](/source/Cyrtostylis_robusta)* D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem - large gnat orchid (S.A., W.A., Tas., Vic.)

- *[Cyrtostylis rotundifolia](/source/Cyrtostylis_rotundifolia)* Hook.f. (New Zealand)

- *[Cyrtostylis tenuissima](/source/Cyrtostylis_tenuissima)* (Nicholls & Goadby) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. - dwarf gnat orchid (W.A.)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-WCSP_1-0)** ["*Cyrtostylis*"](https://web.archive.org/web/20221012140440/https://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=54917). *[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=54917) on October 12, 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Jones_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Jones_2-1) Jones, David L. (2006). *A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories*. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 163. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1877069124](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1877069124).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-RBGV_3-0)** ["*Cyrtostylis*"](https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/25a05f5a-f5ad-418a-a96c-5b09c4070ded). Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 28 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-RBGS_4-0)** Weston, Peter H. ["Genus *Cyrtostylis*"](http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&showsyn=&dist=&constat=&lvl=gn&name=Cyrtostylis). Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 28 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FloraBase_5-0)** ["*Cyrtostylis*"](https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/10916). *[FloraBase](/source/FloraBase)*. Western Australian Government [Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions](/source/Department_of_Biodiversity%2C_Conservation_and_Attractions).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-APNI_6-0)** ["*Cyrtostylis*"](https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/526979). APNI. Retrieved 28 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-R.Br._7-0)** Brown, Robert (1810). [*Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/21771#page/192/mode/1up). London. p. 322. Retrieved 28 April 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Brown_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Brown_8-1) Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). *Orchids of Western Australia*. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 196. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780980296457](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780980296457).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Hoffman_9-0)** Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). *Orchids of South-West Australia* (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 272. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780646562322](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780646562322).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FloraBase2_10-0)** ["*Cyrtostylis huegelii*"](https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/10916). *[FloraBase](/source/FloraBase)*. Western Australian Government [Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions](/source/Department_of_Biodiversity%2C_Conservation_and_Attractions).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-WCSP2_11-0)** ["*Cyrtostylis*"](https://web.archive.org/web/20221013180053/https://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=54924). *[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=54924) on October 13, 2022.

- ["ACIANTHUS; Mosquito Orchids"](http://www.publish.csiro.au/samples/Orchid%20Key%20for%20web/html/genera/Acianthus.htm#top). [CSIRO](/source/CSIRO). Retrieved 2007-12-01. (Kores 1995) ... very broad generic approach, for example including *Cyrtostylis* within the generic boundaries of *Acianthus* despite an earlier study to the contrary (Jones and Clements 1987).

- Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.C. & Rasmussen, F.N. (2001) Orchidoideae (Part 1). Genera Orchidacearum 2: 75 ff. Oxford University Press.

## External links

Media related to [Cyrtostylis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cyrtostylis) at Wikimedia Commons

Taxon identifiers Cyrtostylis Wikidata: Q1319321 Wikispecies: Cyrtostylis APNI: 100153 BOLD: 412954 CoL: 8VWPV eFloraSA: Cyrtostylis EoL: 29213 FloraBase: 21268 FoAO2: Cyrtostylis GBIF: 2795607 GRIN: 3330 iNaturalist: 323967 IPNI: 29198-1 IRMNG: 1381433 NCBI: 152865 NZOR: e6ebbcb3-a6f5-4996-a094-9053abaa6dc5 Open Tree of Life: 114395 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:29198-1 Tropicos: 40020770 VicFlora: 25a05f5a-f5ad-418a-a96c-5b09c4070ded WFO: wfo-4000010557

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