Schoenorchis sarcophylla, commonly known as the fleshy flea orchid,[1] is a small epiphytic orchid with many thin roots, between three and seven crowded, dark green leaves and up to thirty crowded, tube-shaped white flowers. It is found in New Guinea and tropical North Queensland.
Schoenorchis sarcophylla is a small epiphytic herb with many thin roots, stems NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and between three and seven crowded, fleshy, channelled dark green, linear to narrow elliptic leaves NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. Between five and thirty crowded, tube-shaped white flowers, about 3sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and wide are crowded on a stiff flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The sepals are NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and 1sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The petals are smaller than, and hidden by the sepals. The labellum is about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with three small lobes, the middle lobe short and fleshy with an inflated spur. Flowering occurs between August and September.[2] [3]
Schoenorchis sarcophylla was first formally described in 1913 by Rudolf Schlechter and the description was published in Repertorium specierum novarum regni vegetabilis. Beihefte.[4] The specific epithet (sarcophylla) is derived from the ancient Greek words, genitive (genitive) meaning "flesh" and meaning "leaf".[5]
The fleshy flea orchid grows on trees in forest at altitudes between NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2. It is found in New Guinea and in the Iron and McIlwraith Ranges in Queensland.