Sarcochilus spathulatus
Sarcochilus spathulatus, commonly known as the small butterfly orchid, is a small epiphytic orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single, more or less pendent growth with up to ten thin, leathery leaves and up to five green to dark brown flowers with a cream-coloured labellum that has purple markings.

Description
Sarcochilus spathulatus is a small epiphytic herb with a single, more or less pendent growth with stems  long. There are between two and ten thin, leathery, narrow egg-shaped leaves  long and  wide. Up to five green to dark brown flowers  long and  wide are widely spaced on a pendulous flowering stem  long. The sepals and petals are narrow oblong, often distinctly expanded near the tip. The dorsal sepal is  long and  wide whilst the lateral sepals are slightly longer and wider. The petals are  long and about  wide. The labellum is cream-coloured with purplish markings, about  long with three lobes. The side lobes are erect, expanded near the tip and the middle lobe is purple. Flowering occurs between July and October.

Taxonomy and naming
Sarcochilus spathulatus was first formally described in 1927 by Richard Sanders Rogers and the description was published in Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia. The specific epithet (spathulatus) is derived from the Latin word spatha meaning "paddle for stirring or mixing".

Distribution and habitat
The small butterfly orchid grows on the outer branches of trees in rainforest or drier forests near streams. It is found between the Bunya Mountains in Queensland and the Hunter River in New South Wales.

References

Endemic orchids of Australia
Orchids of New South Wales
Orchids of Queensland
Plants described in 1927
spathulatus