Common name: Butterfly Orchid
Sarcochilus australis (Lindl.) Rchb.f. APNI* 
Description: Semi-pendent epiphyte, usually with 1 shoot; stems 0.5–7 cm long.
Leaves narrow-oblong to narrow-elliptic, 2–12 cm long, 3–14 mm wide, slightly channelled, not spotted.
Inflorescence 1.5–19 cm long, 1–15-flowered, pendent; rachis usually much longer than peduncle; pedicel plus ovary 3–8 mm long. Flowers not campanulate; dorsiventral dimension of flower conspicuously greater than lateral dimension. Sepals and lateral petals narrow-oblong, often markedly dilated near the tip, green to brown or rarely yellow. Labellum 3.5–6 mm long, about half as long as dorsal sepal, glabrous; lateral lobes oblong. Column c. 2 mm long, about half as long as column foot, set almost at right angles to it.
Flowering: October–December
Distribution and occurrence: Grows on outer branches of trees in gallery rainforest; from sea level to c. 1000 m alt., south from the Hunter R.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, ST, CWS
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas.
Text by P. H. Weston
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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