Sarcochilus australis, commonly known as the butterfly orchid or Gunn's tree orchid,[1] is a small epiphytic orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has up to ten oblong, dark green leaves and up to fourteen small green to yellowish or brownish flowers with a mostly white labellum.
Sarcochilus australis is a small epiphytic herb with a stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long with between three and ten dark green leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. Between two and fourteen green to yellowish or brownish flowers NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide are arranged on a pendulous flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The sepals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide whilst the petals are shorter and narrower. The labellum is white with purple and yellow markings, about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 5sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide and has three lobes. The side lobes are erect, usually with purple markings and the middle lobe erect with a thin, solid spur. Flowering occurs between October and January.[2] [3]
The butterfly orchid was first formally described in 1834 by John Lindley who gave it the name Gunnia australis and published the description in Edwards's Botanical Register.[4] [5] In 1863, Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach changed the name to Sarcochilus australis.[6] The specific epithet (australis) is a Latin word meaning "southern".[7]
Sarcochilus australis grows on trees in rainforest and other humid places, sometimes close to the ground. It is found between the Hunter River in New South Wales through south-eastern Victoria to northern Tasmania.