Sarcochilus parviflorus
Sarcochilus parviflorus, commonly known as the southern lawyer orchid or green tree orchid, is an epiphytic orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has up to eight rigid leaves and up to twelve small bright green to yellowish green flowers with reddish markings on the labellum.
Description
Sarcochilus parviflorus is an epiphytic, rarely lithophytic orchid with sparsely branched stems long with between two and eight leaves. The leaves are dark green, rigid, egg-shaped to narrow oblong, long and long wide. The flowering stems are long and bear between two and twelve bright green to yellowish green flowers long and wide. The sepal are long and wide whilst the petals are narrower. The labellum is long, wide and greenish cream with reddish markings. The labellum has three lobes, the side lobes curving upwards near their tips and the middle lobe with a short tooth on its midline. Flowering occurs between June and January.
Taxonomy and naming
Sarcochilus parviflorus was first formally described in 1838 by John Lindley and the description was published in Edwards's Botanical Register. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin words parvus meaning "little" and flos meaning "flower".
The southern lawyer orchid grows on trees, rarely on rocks, in rainforest in coastal areas and nearby tablelands between Brisbane and Tathra.