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Slender Onion Orchid
Microtis parviflora

Notes

The Slender Onion Orchid is a rather inconspicuous species characterised by a long, slender flower stalk with tiny, widely-spaced green flowers and a single long leaf. It flowers in late spring / early summer and grows in damp locations in a variety of habitats. The Slender Onion Orchid is fairly common and widespread and occurs across south-eastern SA, southern VIC, the ACT, eastern NSW, eastern QLD and most of TAS.

The Slender Onion Orchid is very difficult to tell apart from the similar Common Onion Orchid (Microtis unifolia). The easiest way to distinguish between the two species is through the labellum, which is usually heart-shaped with smooth edges in the Slender Onion Orchid, but elongated with crenate edges in the Common Onion Orchid. Unlike the Common Onion Orchid, the Slender Onion Orchid is pollinated by small ants rather than wasps (Jones 1975), which likely explains the differences in the morphology of the labellum between the two species.

Photos

Microtis parviflora
Close-up view of the tiny green flowers. (Lane Cove NP, NSW, 07 / 12 / 2013)
Microtis parviflora
View of the tall, slender flower stalk with the widely-spaced green flowers. (Lane Cove NP, NSW, 07 / 12 / 2013)
Microtis parviflora
The flowers are so tiny that some magnification is required to make out their details. (Lane Cove NP, NSW, 07 / 12 / 2013)
Microtis parviflora
View of the full plant showing the tall, slender flower stalk and characteristic long leaf. (Lane Cove NP, NSW, 07 / 12 / 2013)
Microtis parviflora
Unlike the similar Common Onion Orchid (Microtis unifolia), the Slender Onion Orchid is pollinated by small ants. (Lane Cove NP, NSW, 07 / 12 / 2013)

References