About Adenochilus gracilis Hook.f.
Adenochilus gracilis Hook.f. is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous herb that grows from a long, thin, horizontal rhizome. It produces one egg-shaped to oblong leaf with a heart-shaped base that measures 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long, positioned near the base of the flowering stem. A second similar leaf, lacking a petiole, grows about halfway up the flowering stem. A single white flower 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) wide forms at the end of a flowering spike that reaches up to 200 mm (8 in) tall. The outer surface of the flower’s sepals and petals is covered in short glandular hairs. The lance-shaped dorsal sepal curves over the labellum and column to form a hood, almost completely hiding these structures. The two lateral sepals spread widely apart from each other, and the petals share a similar form to the sepals. The labellum curves downwards and is divided into three lobes, with the central lobe narrower than the two outer lobes. It is marked with red to maroon bars and has two to four rows of yellow calli arranged in a dense central band. Flowering takes place between October and March. This orchid grows in thick layers of moss or partly decomposed leaf litter within scrub and forest habitats. It occurs naturally on the North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.
