Chiloglottis grammata, commonly known as the small bird orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It has two broad leaves and a single greenish purple to purple flower with short, shiny greenish to reddish or black calli and low ridges resembling writing, covering most of the upper surface of the labellum. It is widespread and common in high rainfall mountainous areas.
Chiloglottis grammata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with two leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. A single greenish purple to purple flower NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide is borne on a flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 high. The dorsal sepal is broadly egg-shaped to spatula-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals are linear to lance-shaped, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long, about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and taper towards their tips. There is a glandular tip NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long on the end of all three sepals. The petals are lance-shaped but curved, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 4sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and spread widely apart from each other. The labellum is egg-shaped to heart-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with short, shiny greenish to reddish or black calli up to 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and low ridges resembling writing covering most of its upper surface. Flowering occurs from October to February.[1] [2]
Chiloglottis grammata was first formally described in 1991 by Geoffrey Carr and the description was published in Indigenous Flora and Fauna Association Miscellaneous Paper 1 from a specimen collected from Jackeys Marsh in the Meander Valley.[3]
The small bird orchid is widespread and locally common in Tasmania, especially in moist to wet forest in mountainous areas, sometimes forming dense colonies.