Acianthus exsertus
R.Br. Mosquito OrchidFlowering plant 10–24 cm tall. Leaf cordate, thin, 2–4 cm long, 15–30 mm wide, green above, reddish-purple beneath, entire or sometimes shallowly lobed. Flowers 2–15, light greyish-purple, labellum greenish-yellow with dark central band and margins; pedicel (including ovary) 5–8 mm long, subtended by small bract; dorsal sepal more or less hooded, linear-obovate, 7–9 mm long, apical point c. 2 mm long; lateral sepals projected obliquely forwards, parallel or divergent, linear to linear-oblanceolate with fine point, similar in length to dorsal sepal; petals spreading or reflexed, linear-ovate to ovate, relatively short, 3–4 mm long. Labellum on short claw, slightly decurved distally, ovate-cordate, 5–7 mm long, 3–4 mm wide; base of lamina truncate to cordate, margins revolute, entire, apex with short point; callus thick, fleshy, papillose towards the apex. Column incurved, almost terete, not winged. Flowers Mar.–Jun.
LoM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, VAlp. Also NSW, SA. Confirmed records are confined to open-forests in eastern Victoria, but the species is likely to be more widespread. Most records are now referable to A. pusillus.
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.
Spinning
