Crepidium fimbriatum, commonly known as the fringed spur orchid,[1] is a plant in the orchid family and is endemic to tropical Far North Queensland. It is an evergreen, terrestrial orchid with a fleshy stem, wavy leaves and many purple flowers crowded on a purple flowering stem.
Crepidium fimbriatum is a terrestrial, evergreen herb with fleshy stems NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 and 10sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide lying on the ground. There are between four and fifteen leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide scattered along the stem. The leaves are dark green, egg-shaped and pleated, with wavy margins. A large number of crowded, purple, non-resupinate flowers and prominent bracts are crowded along a purple flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The flowers are purple, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The sepals are egg-shaped, about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide, the dorsal sepal turned downwards and the lateral sepals erect and spread apart. The petals are curved, slightly smaller than the sepals and have a pointed tip. The labellum is horseshoe-shaped, about 4sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with about ten teeth near its tip. Flowering occurs between January and March.[2]
Crepidium fimbriatum was first formally described in 1981 by Bill Lavarack who gave it the name Malaxis fimbriatum and published the description in the journal Austrobaileya.[3] In 1995 Dariusz Szlachetko changed the name to Crepidium fimbriatum.[4] The specific epithet (fimbriatum) is a Latin word meaning "fringed" or "fibrous".[5]
The fringed spur orchid grows in shady places in rainforest in the McIlwraith Range and possibly elsewhere.
This orchid is classed as "vulnerable" under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992.[6]