Chiloglottis truncata, commonly known as the small ant orchid, is a small species of orchid endemic to Queensland. It has two leaves and a single green flower with a shiny black, insect-like callus occupying most of the labellum.
Chiloglottis truncata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with two leaves NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. A single green flower NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide is borne on a flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 high. The dorsal sepal is NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals are NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long, about 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and curve downwards. There is a glandular tip about 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long on all three sepals. The petals are about 8sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and turn downwards towards the ovary. The labellum is trowel-shaped, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and about 4sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide with a square-cut tip and a narrow, shiny black, insect-like callus extending to its tip. Flowering occurs from July to September.[1]
Chiloglottis truncata was first formally described in 1987 by David Jones and Mark Clements from a specimen collected at Anduramba and the description was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland.[2] The specific epithet (truncata) is a Latin word meaning "shorten by cutting off".[3]
The small ant orchid grows in forest and woodland between Kingaroy and Toowoomba.