| Earina | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Type Species | ||||||||||||||||||
| Earina mucronata | ||||||||||||||||||
| Species | ||||||||||||||||||
| The 3 New Zealand species: |
Earina is a genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae), comprising of approximately 10 species. Three endemic species are found in New Zealand, five in New Caledonia, and also in Tahiti, Samoa and Fiji.
The New Zealand species are all epiphytic, or sometimes lithophytic, found growing on mossy trunks in the rain forests of both the North and South Islands. The strap shaped leaves grow from pendulous wire thin pseudobulbs that arise from creeping rhizomes. Earina mucronata flowers mainly in the spring, whereas Earina autumnalis, as its name suggests, flowers in the autumn - its flowers are fragrant. The flowers are tiny, typically less than 1 cm across, but are produced in abundance. A large flowering specimen in the bush looks spectacular.