Chiloglottis sphyrnoides, commonly known as the forest wasp orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland. It has two dark green leaves and a single green or reddish pink flower with a shiny black, insect-like callus surrounded by red club-shaped calli on two-thirds of the base of the labellum.
Chiloglottis sphyrnoides is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with two egg-shaped to elliptic leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide on a petiole NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. A single green or reddish pink flower NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide is borne on a flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 high. The dorsal sepal is spatula-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals are linear, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and curve downwards. There is a glandular tip NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long on the end of the dorsal sepal and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long on the lateral sepals. The petals are narrow oblong, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 4sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and turn downwards towards the ovary. The labellum is broadly spatula-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. There is a shiny black, insect-like callus about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and wide near the base of the labellum. This large callus is surrounded by reddish, club-shaped calli and small red calli. The column is green with purplish black blotches, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and about 4sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with narrow wings. Flowering occurs from December to April.[1] [2] [3]
Chiloglottis sphyrnoides was first formally described in 1991 by David Jones from a specimen collected in the Lamington National Park and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research.[4] The specific epithet (sphyrnoides) refers to the similarity of the shape of the large callus on the labellum resembling the head of a shark in the genus Sphyrna. The ending -oides is derived from an Ancient Greek word εἶδος (eîdos), meaning “form" or "likeness”.[5]
The forest wasp orchid grows in moist places in tall forest near Nowendoc and in the Lamington National Park.