Bulbophyllum globuliforme, commonly known as the green bead orchid,[1] miniature moss-orchid[2] or hoop pine orchid,[3] is a species of epiphytic orchid with tiny spherical pseudobulbs, scale-like leaves and small cream-coloured flowers with a yellow labellum. It grows on the scaly bark of hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), mostly on the McPherson Range on the New South Wales/Queensland border in eastern Australia. Because of its small size it is often dismissed as moss.
Bulbophyllum globuliforme is an epiphytic herb with pale green, more or less spherical pseudobulbs that are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 in diameter. Each pseudobulb has a single papery, scale-like leaf NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. A single cream-coloured flower about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide is borne on a thread-like flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The sepals and petals spread widely, the sepals about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide, the petals about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 0.5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. Flowering occurs from September to November and from May to August.[4]
This orchid is rarely encountered, except on fallen branches after storms, and is easily mistaken for a moss.[5]
Bulbophyllum globuliforme was first formally described in 1938 by William Nicholls in the Orchidologia Zeylanica.[6]
The green bead orchid grows on the scaly bark of hoop pine in rainforest, mainly on the McPherson Range in eastern Australia.
This orchid species is listed as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. In Queensland it is classed as "rare" under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.