First Record of the Mycoheterotrophic Orchid Gastrodia uraiensis (Orchidaceae) from Yakushima Island, Japan

Abstract

Flowering individuals of an unknown species of Gastrodia were discovered on Yakushima Island, Japan. While those plants were somewhat similar to Gastrodia fontinalis, they had shorter inflorescences, a shorter perianth tube and different number of ridges on the labellum, a combination of characteristics remarkably similar to those of G. uraiensis, which was considered to be endemic to Taiwan. Given that there were only minor differences between the original description of G. uraiensis and the plants on Yakushima Island, it was concluded that they were the same species. They represent the first known occurrence of G. uraiensis outside of Taiwan.