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Corsia ornata is a species of flowering plant in the genus Corsia of the small family Corsiaceae, part of the monocot order Liliales. They are saprophytes (Myco-heterotrophs), lacking the ability to photosynthesise, being dependent on other organisms for their nutrition. The plant lives underground, sending up purplish stems above ground in order to flower. The leaves are reduced to scales. One of the six petal-like tepals named the labellum (a little lip), is specialised, being enlarged and hanging protectively over the reproductive organs. It was discovered in New Guinea in 1875, but has since been sighted in Queensland, Australia.
Corsia ornata is found at a number of widely spaced locations in the western part of New Guinea, particularly on Bird's Head Peninsula. One sighting in Queensland, Australia, makes it the only species found outside of New Guinea. Corsia ornata occurs in forests, between 400 and 2,100 m, in humus rich soils.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Corsia ornata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
