Sarcochilus

Sarcochilus, commonly known as butterfly orchids or fairy bells is a genus of about twenty species of flowering plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are epiphytes or lithophytes and usually have short stems, leaves arranged in two rows, and flowers arranged along unbranched flowering stems. Most species are endemic to Australia but some are found in New Guinea and New Caledonia.

Description

Orchids in the genus Sarcochilus are epiphytic or lithophytic monopodial herbs with fibrous stems and long, relatively broad leaves folded lengthwise and arranged in two ranks. The flowers are scented, resupinate and arranged on an unbranched flowering stem, each flower on a short thin stalk. The sepals and petals are free from and similar to each other except that the petals are usually smaller than the sepals. The labellum is hinged to the column and has three lobes. The sides lobes are relatively large and upright, sometimes curving inwards. The structure of the middle lobe varies between species.

Taxonomy and naming

The genus Sarcochilus was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. The name Sarcochilus is derived from the Ancient Greek words sarx meaning "flesh" and cheilos meaning "lip", referring to the fleshy labellum of these orchids.
The genus Sarcochilus has been shown to be non-monophyletic.

Species

The following is a list of Sarcochilus species recognised by Plants of [the World Online] as of March 2023. The common names in the list below are those used by David Jones.

Image	Name	Common name	Distribution	Elevation
	Sarcochilus argochilus D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem., 2006	northern lawyer orchid	Queensland
	Sarcochilus australis Rchb.f. in Walp., 1863	butterfly orchid, Gunn's tree orchid	New South Wales through south-eastern Victoria to northern Tasmania.
	Sarcochilus borealis D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem., 1989	small lawyer orchid	New South Wales and Queensland
	Sarcochilus ceciliae F.Muell., 1865	fairy bells	Queensland and New South Wales
	Sarcochilus chrysanthus Schltr., 1913		New Guinea
	Sarcochilus dilatatus F.Muell., 1859	brown butterfly orchid	Queensland and New South Wales
	Sarcochilus falcatus R.Br., 1810	orange blossom orchid	Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria
	Sarcochilus fitzgeraldii F.Muell., 1870	ravine orchid	Queensland and New South Wales
	Sarcochilus gildasii N.Hallé, 1986		New Caledonia
	Sarcochilus hartmannii F.Muell., 1874	large boulder orchid	eastern Australia
	Sarcochilus hillii F.Muell, 1860	myrtle bells	Australia and New Caledonia
	Sarcochilus hirticalcar M.A.Clem. & B.J.Wallace, 1998	harlequin orchid	Queensland
	Sarcochilus iboensis Schltr., 1913		New Guinea
	Sarcochilus koghiensis Schltr., 1911		New Caledonia
	Sarcochilus odoratus Schltr., 1913		New Guinea
	Sarcochilus parviflorus Lindl., 1838	southern lawyer orchid, green tree orchid	New South Wales
	Sarcochilus rarus Schltr., 1906		New Caledonia
	Sarcochilus serrulatus D.L.Jones, 1972	banded butterfly orchid	Queensland
	Sarcochilus spathulatus R.S.Rogers, 1927	small butterfly orchid	Queensland and New South Wales
	Sarcochilus thycola M.A.Clem., D.L.Jones & D.P.Banks, 2019		New Caledonia
	Sarcochilus tricalliatus Rupp, 1951		Queensland
	Sarcochilus uniflorus Schltr., 1913		New Guinea
	Sarcochilus weinthalii F.M.Bailey, 1903	blotched butterfly orchid	Queensland and New South Wales

Use in horticulture

The term "sarco" is often used to refer to a number of orchid genera, including Sarcochilus. Most species of Sarcochilus are easily grown but some are very difficult. They need bright light, high humidity and free air movement.