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      Item Details  

Scientific Name : Microtis parviflora
Common Name : Slender onion-orchid
Height : 500 mm
Description : A slender, entirely green plant, easily overlooked when growing among grasses. There is a single Terete leaf of up to 400mm. The flower stem emerges from part way up the leaf and bears a dense Spike of 10 to 80 tiny little flowers. The flowers are yellowish green, with perianth segments just 2mm long. The Dorsal Sepal forms a broad hood over the Column. The lateral Sepals are directed downwards and are partly curled backwards. The lateral Petals are upright, inside the edges of the Dorsal Sepal. The Labellum is heart-shaped, with a pair of darker green Calli at the base. There is no Callus on the tip of the Labellum.
Habitat : Grasslands and damp hollows in open forests.
Distribution : Queensland to South Australia and Tasmania and Western Australia. Widespread and common in Victoria, except fot the North-West of the state. Not often found in the Park, although easily overlooked. Known from one site on Stringybark Ridge and from near the Propagation Centre.
Flowering Season : November and December
Family : Orchidaceae
 
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Slender onion-orchid flower-spike near the propagation centre