Citation: D. Jones & R. Nash, Muelleria 3:165 (1976).

Synonymy: Corysanthes despectans, Corysanthes sp. Red-eyed Ghost

Common name: None

Description:
A small plant rarely exceeding 2 cm; leaf 8-25 mm long and 12-30 mm wide, cordate to orbicular, occasionally lobed, apiculate, green on both surfaces.

Flower reddish-purple, on an inconspicuous pedicel, 7-12 mm long excluding the ovary, subtended by a narrow subulate bract c. 3 mm long, lower half erect, upper curved and deflexed, dominated by the labellum; ovary 3-5 mm long, cylindrical; dorsal sepal 5-10 mm long and 3-4 mm wide when flattened out, gradually contracted into a claw, erect in the lower half, involute, in the upper part curving through c. 60(, tip acute, obtuse or irregularly notched, greenish-grey with purple striations; lateral sepals subulate, c. 5 mm long, less than 0.5 mm wide at the base, gradually tapering into an acute apex, clinging to the auricles of the labellum, purplish to colourless; petals often chelate, similar, c. 3 mm long; labellum exceeding the dorsal sepal, 8-12 mm long and 9-12 mm wide; erect lower portion involute against the dorsal sepal, enclosing the column, basally furnished with 2 small auricles at the attachment; upper half deflexed through 180(, expanded into a circular lamina, forming a split tube produced into a trumpet-shaped orifice looking downwards, reddish with conspicuous purple venation ending in the denticulate margin; callus of c. 4 raised divergent plates, occasionally adorned with minute teeth; column c. 2.5 mm long, cylindrical, minutely winged; pollinia caudate; stigma more or less rectangular, concave; anther outline 1-1.5 mm long; pollinia 4 in 2 pairs, mealy.

Published illustration: Hoffman & Brown (1984) Orchids of south-west Australia, p. 339; Woolcock (1984) Australian terrestrial orchids, pl. 27D.

Distribution:  Forms small to very extensive colonies on limestone or in calcareous sand, particularly in the littoral zone where it occurs down to the high tide mark. Usually in the shelter of dense shrubby vegetation. Locally common. S.Aust.: EP, NL, YP, SL, KI, SE.   W.Aust.; Vic. Conservation status: native Flowering time: July — Aug. Fig. 960A.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available