Sarcochilus serrulatus

Sarcochilus serrulatus, commonly known as the banded butterfly orchid, is an epiphytic orchid endemic to tropical North Queensland. It has up to six crowded leaves with finely toothed and wavy edges and up to ten reddish brown flowers with a white, yellow-banded labellum.

Description

Sarcochilus serrulatus is an epiphytic herb with a stem long with between three and six curved leaves long and about wide. The leaves are oblong to egg-shaped with wavy edges that have fine teeth. Between two and ten reddish brown flowers long and wide are arranged on a fleshy, club-shaped flowering stem long. The dorsal sepal is long and wide whilst the lateral sepals are long and wide. The petals are shorter and narrower than the lateral sepals. The labellum is white with reddish and yellowish markings, about long and wide with three lobes. The side lobes are erect and curve inwards and the middle lobe is fleshy with a spur about long. Flowering occurs between August and January.

Taxonomy and naming

Sarcochilus serrulatus was first formally described in 1972 by David Jones and the description was published in The Victorian Naturalist. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word serra meaning "toothed like a saw".

Distribution and habitat

The banded butterfly orchid grows on trees in dense rainforest, usually near streams. It is only known from the Tablelands Region of north Queensland.