Sarcochilus hirticalcar

Sarcochilus hirticalcar, commonly known as the harlequin orchid, is a small epiphytic orchid endemic to Queensland. It has up to eight bright green leaves and up to twelve cream-coloured to bright yellow flowers with purplish to reddish brown bands.

Description

Sarcochilus hirticalcar is a small epiphytic herb with stems long with between two and ten leathery, linear or curved bright green leaves long and wide. Between two and twelve cream-coloured to bright yellow flowers with purplish to reddish bands, long and wide are arranged on a flowering stem long. The dorsal sepal is long and wide and the lateral sepals are slightly longer. The petals are long and about wide. The labellum is long and wide and has three lobes. The side lobes are erect with purple stripes on the inside and the middle lobe is densely covered with white hairs. Flowering occurs between October and December but only up to three flowers are open at once.

Taxonomy and naming

The harlequin orchid was first formally described in 1967 by Alick Dockrill who gave it the name Parasarcochilus hirticalcar and published the description in Australasian Sarcanthinae. In 1998 Mark Clements and Benjamin John Wallace changed the name to Sarcochilus hirticalcar. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin words hirtus meaning "hairy", "rough" or "shaggy" and calcar meaning "a spur".

Distribution and habitat

Sarcochilus hirticalcar grows on trees in rainforest and along rivers, often growing on Dillenia alata. It is only known from the McIlwraith Range where it grows at altitudes of between.