Calochilus grandiflorus, commonly known as the giant beard orchid or golden beard orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single leaf with a reddish base and up to fifteen relatively large golden bronze-coloured flowers with a red or coppery red "beard".
Calochilus grandiflorus is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single linear leaf, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide, usually with a reddish base. The leaf is fully developed when the first flower opens. Up to fifteen golden bronze-coloured flowers NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide are borne on a wiry flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The dorsal sepal is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals are a similar length but narrower. The petals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 8sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The labellum is flat, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with thin red calli near its base. The middle section of the labellum has coarse coppery red or yellowish hairs up to 11sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 and the tip has a glandular "tail" up to 22sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long. The column has two purple coloured "eyes" but there is no ridge between the eyes. Flowering occurs from September to December.[1] [2]
The giant beard orchid was first formally described in 1873 by George Bentham who gave it the name Calochilus campestris var. grandiflorus and published the description in Flora Australiensis.[3] In 1915 Karel Domin raised the variety to species status.[4] The specific epithet (grandiflorus) is derived from the Latin words grandis meaning "large", "great", "noble", "sublime" or "magnificent"[5] and flos meaning "flower".
Calochilus grandiflorus grows in near-coastal heath, sometimes on nearby mountains in New South Wales north from Bulahdelah and in southeastern Queensland.