Microtis rara
Microtis rara, commonly known as the scented onion orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Australia, with the exception of the Northern Territory. It has a single hollow, onion-like leaf and up to fifty small green or yellowish-green, scented flowers. It is similar to Microtis oblonga and some authorities regard the two as being one species.
Description
Microtis rara is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single erect, tapering, tubular leaf long and wide. Between ten and fifty green or greenish-yellow flowers are well spaced along a flowering stem tall. The flowers sweetly scented, long and wide. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, long, wide with a dished lower surface. The lateral sepals are linear to oblong, long, about wide with their tips rolled under. The petals are a curved lance shape, long, about wide and spread widely apart. The labellum is more or less oblong, long, wide with notched edges and a narrowed middle section. There are dark green calli in the centre of the labellum. Flowering occurs from November to January and is stimulated by fire the previous summer.Taxonomy and naming
Microtis rara was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. The specific epithet is a Latin word meaning "scarce", "scattered" or "dispersed".Some authorities regard Microtis oblonga as being a race of M. rara.