Scientific Name: Acianthus caudatus

Common Name: mayfly orchid

Family Classification (Clade): Monocots

Family: Orchidaceae

Form Description: Often forms quite massive colonies, but not all plants produce flowers. Heart shaped leaves, dark green above and purple beneath.

Height (m): 0.04 – 0.25

Flowers: Slender raceme of small dark purplish flowers with long filamentous sepals.

Fruit: Papery capsule

Municipality
Break O’DayBurnieCentral CoastCircular HeadDevonportDorsetFlindersGeorge TownKentishKing IslandLatrobeLauncestonMeander ValleyNorthern MidlandsWaratah-WynyardWest CoastWest Tamar
Plant Communities
Coastal Vegetation
Habitat Notes

Sheltered sites in heathland and heathy open eucalypt forest, sheoak woodland and teatree scrub.

Site Tolerance

Dry, Moist, Shady

Soil Tolerance

Clay, Loam, Sandy, Well-drained

Frost Tolerance

Tender

General Notes

A fly from the genus Mycoma pollinates this species.

Propagation Calendar

  • Flowering Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Seed Collecting Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Sowing Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Cutting Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Propagation Method
Specialist Method

Seed Information

Seed Treatment Notes

Orchid seeds are very minute yellow, brown or blackish dust-like particles. Orchid seeds are produced within a capsule that splits at maturity and releases thousands to millions of seeds. Dispersed by wind and water and only germinate following infection of the embryo by a suitable mycorrhizal fungus. Very few seeds become mature plants. For more information see Jones, Wapstra, Tonelli, Harris (1999): The Orchids of Tasmania.