Sarcochilus falcatus 

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms > Monocots >  Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Epidendroideae > Sarcochilus

Other links:     

Plant  information

Common name:         Orange Blossom Orchid

Conservation status: Least concern (except in Victoria)

• This orchid is classed as "endangered" in Victoria under the Victorian Government Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988

• It is classified as least concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Etymology:   

• The specific epithet (falcatus) is a Latin word meaning "sickle-shaped" or "curved", referring to the shape of the leaves

Flowers

• Between 3 and 12 white to cream-coloured, fragrant flowers 20–30 mm long and wide 

• These are arranged on an arching flowering stem 70–180 mm long

• The sepals and petals are egg-shaped, spread widely apart from each other and are 10–16 mm long and 5–7 mm wide

• The labellum is white with orange and purple markings, 4–6 mm long with three lobes

• The side lobes are erect, about 7 mm long and 5 mm wide and the middle lobe is short and fleshy

• Flowering occurs between June and October

Fruit:                            

Leaves:         

• Between 3 and 8 leathery, often curved leaves 60–160 mm long and 15–20 mm wide 

• With fine teeth on the edges

Stem & branches: 

• A  stem 40–80 mm long

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A small epiphytic or lithophytic orchid

Habitat:   

• It grows on trees but sometimes on rocks

• Usually in places exposed to air movement, clouds and drizzly weather

Distribution:                  

• Endemic to eastern Australia

• It grows in the Cedar Bay National Park in Queensland and south to the coast and nearby tablelands of NSW

•  It rarely occurs in the far north-eastern corner of Victoria

Additional notes:     

• Taxonomy 

  • Sarcochilus falcatus was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown who published the description in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen

  • It was the first species of Sarcochilus to be described and is therefore the type species

  • A species of Ceratobasidium was isolated from a specimen of S. falcatus collected near Dungog

Sources of information:

• (2023)