Citation: R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 321 (1810).

Synonymy: Microtis parviflora

Common name: Slender onion-orchid.

Description:
Plant slender to robust, 7-50 cm high, erect, green, more or less fleshy; leaf 10-40 cm long, 3-8 mm diam., lamina hollow, acuminate, often exceeding the raceme.

Raceme 10-80- usually 20-50-flowered, usually crowded; ovary ovoid, 2-5 x 1.5-3 mm, erect, standing well out from the spike, larger than the flower; flowers green, suberect on short pedicels; dorsal sepal orbicular to ovate, 1.5-2.2 x 1.2-2 mm, with a straight or short recurved point; lateral sepals linear-oblong, 1.2-2 x c. 0.8 mm, subacute, at first deflexed, becoming curved; petals falcate-lanceolate, 1-1.5 x 0.3-0.5 mm, subacute, erect, more or less under the dorsal sepal; labellum more or less cordate, 0.8-2 usually 1-1.8 x 0.3-0.8 mm, decurved through a semicircle; margins entire or undulate; apex rounded or acute with a short decurved apiculus; basal calli prominent, ovate, c. 0.1 mm long, sometimes appearing as 2 pairs, surrounding a small pouch which causes a bulge on the under-side of the labellum, so preventing it from lying flat against the ovary; apical callus absent or represented only by a minute papillose area; column c. 1 mm long, narrow, below the stigma, with rather prominent rounded wing-like whitish auricles membranous throughout on each side of the anther; pollinia attached to the viscid disk by a very short caudicle; stigma semilunar, situated transversely between the wings.

Published illustration: Hooker (1835) Curtis's Bot. Mag. 62:t. 3377; Dockrill (1969) Australian indigenous orchids, p. 91; Cady & Rotherham (1970) Australian native orchids in colour, pl. 14 as M. unifolia.

Distribution:  Locally common, forming small to extensive colonies in grassy open areas which are boggy in winter or around swamp margins in high rainfall areas or on rocky outcrops inland. S.Aust.: FR, EP, NL, MU, SL, KI, SE.   W.Aust.; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas..   New Zealand. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Oct. — Jan.

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

Biology: In disturbed areas intermediate forms with M. unifolia may set up large populations by cloning.

Author: Not yet available