Chiloglottis pluricallata, commonly known as the clustered bird orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the New England Tableland and Barrington Tops in New South Wales. It has two broad leaves and a single reddish to purplish brown flower with a callus of about six pairs of reddish to blackish glands covering two-thirds of the top of the labellum.
Chiloglottis pluricallata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with two elliptic leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide on a petiole NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. A single reddish to purplish brown flower NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide is borne on a flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 high. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 2.5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and taper towards their ends. There is a glandular tip NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long on the end of the dorsal sepal and about 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long on the lateral sepals. The petals are lance-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 4sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and spread apart from each other. The labellum is broadly heart-shaped, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. There are about twelve erect, linear, reddish to blackish glands on a wrinkled callus 4sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long covering two-thirds of the labellum near its base. The column is greenish brown with darker markings, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with narrow wings. Flowering occurs from November to January.[1] [2] [3]
Chiloglottis pluricallata was first formally described in 1991 by David Jones from a specimen collected at Point Lookout and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research.[4] The specific epithet (pluricallata) is derived from the Latin words plurimus meaning "most"[5] and callus meaning "hard skin", referring to the many glands on the labellum of this orchid.
The clustered bird orchid grows in grassy forest in mountainous areas on Barringon Tops and the New England Tableland.