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This rare twig epiphyte grows in rainforests
around Brisbane, particularly near creeks. It is probably much more
common than sightings would indicate as its tiny size and habit of growing
on twigs at the top of trees makes this orchid very difficult to locate
and easily overlooked. As with most twig epiphytes, the extensive
roots are seen long before the tiny leaves are located.
This orchid has 2 to 6 leaves which are up to 50mm long by 4mm.
The racemes are about 40mm long with up to 8 flowers of about 7mm
tall. The middle photo shows a ruler marked in millimetres to show
the size. The flowers are beautifully marked but require a strong
magnifying glass to appreciate their beauty.
There is only one other similar orchid, Schistotylus purpuratus, but
Papillilabium beckleri can easily be identified by the papillae
(thickened lumpy area) covering most of the labellum. |
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