Rhizanthella
| Underground orchids | |
|---|---|
| Rhizanthella gardneri | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Subtribe: | Rhizanthellinae R.S.Rogers |
| Genus: | Rhizanthella R.S.Rogers |
| Type species | |
| Rhizanthella gardneri R.S.Rogers (1928) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Cryptanthemis Rupp | |
Rhizanthella, commonly known as underground orchids, is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae and is endemic to Australia. All are leafless, living underground in symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi. The inflorescence is a head of flowers held at, or just above the ground but mostly covered by soil or leaf litter and little is known about the mechanism of pollination.