Chiloglottis chlorantha

Chiloglottis chlorantha, commonly known as the Wollongong bird orchid,^[2] is a species of orchid endemic to a small part of New South Wales. It has two broad leaves and a single green to yellowish green flower with about twelve reddish, yellowish or bright green glands on the labellum callus.

Wollongong bird orchid
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Orchidoideae
Tribe:	Diurideae
Genus:	Chiloglottis
Species:	C. chlorantha
Binomial name
Chiloglottis chlorantha D.L.Jones[1]
Synonyms[1]
Simpliglottis chlorantha (D.L.Jones) Szlach.

Description

Chiloglottis chlorantha is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with two elliptic leaves 27–40 mm (1–2 in) long and 10–18 mm (0.4–0.7 in) wide on a petiole 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. A single green to yellowish green flower 17–20 mm (0.7–0.8 in) long and 25–30 mm (0.98–1.2 in) wide is borne on a flowering stem 35–55 mm (1–2 in) high. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 17–20 mm (0.7–0.8 in) long and 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide. The lateral sepals are green, 14–16 mm (0.55–0.63 in) long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide and erect near the base before curving downwards. There is a glandular tip about 1 mm (0.04 in) long on the sepals. The petals are lance-shaped but curved, 13–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long, 4.5–6 mm (0.18–0.24 in) wide and spread widely apart from each other. The labellum is broadly egg-shaped to heart-shaped, 12–13 mm (0.47–0.51 in) long and 9–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) wide. About two-thirds of the upper surface of the labellum is covered by a callus with about twelve reddish, yellowish or bright green glands up to 3.5 mm (0.1 in) long. The column is green with reddish flecks, 11–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long, about 5 mm (0.2 in) wide with broad wings. Flowering occurs in September and October.^[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Chiloglottis chlorantha was first formally described in 1991 by David Jones from a specimen collected near Wollongong and the description was publish in Australian Orchid Research.^[5] The specific epithet (chlorantha) is derived from the Ancient Greek words chloros meaning "green"^[6]: 201 and anthos meaning "flower",^[6]: 94 referring to the colour of the flower of this orchid.^[3]

Distribution and habitat

The Wollongong bird orchid grows on moist, sheltered slopes under shrubs mainly from near Sydney to the New England.^[2][4]