Envoy at 11:17, 10 July 2007

2007-07-10T11:17:03Z

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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Winika''
| image = Winika.jpg
| image_caption = ''Winika cunninghamii''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Monocotyledon|Liliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Asparagales]]
| familia = [[Orchidaceae]]
| subfamilia = [[Epidendroideae]]
| tribus = [[Dendrobieae]]
| subtribus = [[Dendrobiinae]]
| genus = '''''Winika'''''
| genus_authority = M. A. Clem. et al., 1997
| species = '''''W. cunninghamii'''''
| binomial = ''Winika cunninghamii''
}}

'''''Winika''''' is a [[monotypic]] [[genus]] of [[epiphyte|epiphytic]] [[orchid]]s that is [[endemism|endemic]] to [[New Zealand]], commonly found growing in [[rainforest]] in the [[North Island|North]], [[South Island|South]], Stewart and [[Chatham Island]]s. It normally flowers in summer and early autumn. Its common names are '''winika''', '''pekapeka''', '''christmas orchid''', '''bamboo orchid''' (owing to the bamboo / reed like stems).

==History==

''W. cunninghamii'' was first discovered and catalogued by Solander as ''[[Epidendrum]] pendulum''. Subsequently it was recatalogued as ''[[Dendrobium]] cunninghamii'' and stayed that way until M. A. Clements removed it to form ''Winika cunninghamii''.

To quote the authors, “Winika is the accepted old [[Māori]] name for this orchid. The name Te Winika was given to the sacred war canoe of the [[Tainui]] people because this orchid grew on the [[totara|tōtara tree (''Podocarpus totara'')]] which was hollowed out to form the hull (Moore & Irwin, 1978). We assign the feminine gender to it—''Winika cunninghamii''. The Māori Queen, [[Te Atairangikaahu|Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu]], granted consent to use the name ''Winika'', because of its particular cultural significance to her Tainui people.”

==Trivia==

In 1990, [[New Zealand Post]] released a New Zealand native orchid miniature sheet to support of the New Zealand 1990 World Stamp Exhibition held in Auckland. ''Winika'' was one of the stamps (40c) on the miniature sheet. The others were the [[Thelymitra|sun orchid (''Thelymitra pulchella'')]], [[Corybas (genus)|spider orchid (''Corybas macranthus'')]], [[pterostylis|greenhood orchid (''Pterostylis banksii'')]] and [[Aporostylis|odd leaved orchid (''Aporostylis bifolia'')]].

==References==

* Clements MA, Jones DL, Molloy BPJ. 1997. ''Winika'', a new monotypic genus for the New Zealand orchid previously known as ''Dendrobium cunninghamii'' Lindl. ''Orchadian'' 12. (5): 214-220 (1997)

==External link==

* [http://www.nativeorchids.co.nz/Popups/W_cunninghamii2.htm Picture and description]

[[Category:Orchid genera]]
[[Category:Orchids of New Zealand]]

Winika - Revision history

Envoy at 11:17, 10 July 2007