Sarcochilus australis
(Lindl.) Rchb.f. Butterfly OrchidLeaves 3–10, oblong to narrowly elliptic, straight or only slightly sickle-shaped, apex acute, base usually tapered, 2–11 cm long, 0.4–1.7 cm wide. Racemes 1–4, pendulous, 3–21 cm long; pedicels (including ovary) 6–8 mm long, subtending bract acute; flowers 2–17, pale greenish-brown. Sepals and petals narrowly oblong-obovate, blunt, 0.5–1.5 cm long, 1.5–3.5 mm wide. Labellum 5–8 mm long, white suffused with yellow; lateral lobes oblong, with prominent red or purple longitudinal stripes; mid-lobe erect, ovoid to obovoid, c. 1 mm long; spur solid, very thin, decurved, about as long as the lateral lobes are broad; central callus attached to base of spur, the side calli and the mid-lobe; side calli very prominent, higher than central one. Flowers Oct.–Jan.
GipP, OtP, EGL, EGU, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, HFE. Also NSW, Tas. Epiphytic on the limbs of many species of trees and shrubs found in fern gullies and rainforest east of Melbourne and in the Otway Ranges. Although scattered and uncommon, it can be locally abundant.
Entwisle, T.J. (1994). Orchidaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons, pp. 740–901. Inkata Press, Melbourne.