''Sarcochilus australis'', commonly known as the butterfly orchid or Gunn's tree orchid, is a small

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

orchid endemic to eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It has up to ten oblong, dark green leaves and up to fourteen small green to yellowish or brownish flowers with a mostly white labellum.

Description

''Sarcochilus australis'' is a small epiphytic

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

with a stem long with between three and ten dark green leaves long and wide. Between two and fourteen green to yellowish or brownish flowers long and wide are arranged on a pendulous flowering stem long. The sepals are long and wide whilst the

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s are shorter and narrower. The labellum is white with purple and yellow markings, about long and wide and has three lobes. The side lobes are erect, usually with purple markings and the middle lobe erect with a thin, solid spur. Flowering occurs between October and January.

Taxonomy and naming

The butterfly orchid was first formally described in 1834 by

John Lindley John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...

who gave it the name ''Gunnia australis'' and published the description in ''

Edwards's Botanical Register ''The Botanical Register'', subsequently known as ''Edwards's Botanical Register'', was an illustrated horticultural magazine that ran from 1815 to 1847. It was started by the botanical illustrator Sydenham Edwards, who had previously illustrate ...

''. In 1863, Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach changed the name to ''Sarcochilus australis''. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''australis'') is a Latin word meaning "southern".

Distribution and habitat

''Sarcochilus australis'' grows on trees in rainforest and other humid places, sometimes close to the ground. It is found between the

Hunter River Hunter River may refer to: *Hunter River (New South Wales), Australia *Hunter River (Western Australia) *Hunter River, New Zealand *Hunter River (Prince Edward Island), Canada **Hunter River, Prince Edward Island, community on Hunter River, Canada ...

in New South Wales through south-eastern Victoria to northern Tasmania.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarcochilus australis Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of New South Wales Orchids of Victoria (Australia) Orchids of Tasmania Plants described in 1834 australis