Drymoanthus, known by the common name midget orchids, is a genus of small epiphytic orchids in the family Orchidaceae, order Asparagales. It was formally described in 1943 by the Australian botanist William Henry Nicholls, with the original description published in The Victorian Naturalist.
Plants in this genus are small, unbranched, epiphytic herbs with thick, clinging roots and a thin stem. The leaves are narrow, crowded, thin and leathery. Flowers are small, short-lived and scented, colored green with a contrasting white labellum. The sepals and petals closely resemble one another, though the petals are slightly shorter; the labellum itself is white, boat-shaped, unlobed, and held stiffly against the column — the fused reproductive structure characteristic of orchids.
Sources disagree on the exact number of species: Wikipedia's introduction states four, its own taxonomy section (citing Plants of the World Online) lists seven, and the GBIF backbone taxonomy counts six accepted descendant taxa. Whatever the precise tally, Drymoanthus species are distributed across Australia (Queensland), New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands), and New Caledonia. The best-known member, Drymoanthus adversus, occurs in New Zealand.
Distribution
Species of Drymoanthus occur in Australia (Queensland), New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands), and New Caledonia. Sources give differing species counts (4–7), but the genus's known range spans these three areas.
Taxonomy Notes
The genus was formally described in 1943 by William Henry Nicholls, with the description published in The Victorian Naturalist (confirmed by both Wikipedia and GBIF). Species counts vary by source: Wikipedia's introduction cites four species, its taxonomy section lists seven per Plants of the World Online, and GBIF's backbone taxonomy counts six accepted descendant taxa.
