Eriochilus pulchellus, commonly known as the granite bunny orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It has a single egg-shaped leaf and up to ten small white flowers with red markings. A relatively common species, it grows in shallow soil on granite outcrops. Its fleshy leaf is held above the ground on a thin stalk.
Eriochilus pulchellus is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single, egg-shaped to oval leaf NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The leaf is held above the ground on a thin stalk NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. Up to ten white flowers with a few red markings, about 10sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 8sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide are borne on a stem, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and spread forwards. The petals are dull green with red tips and edges and are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The labellum is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and has three lobes. The middle lobe is NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and is fleshy with dark red bristles. Flowering occurs from April to May.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Eriochilus pulchellus was first formally described in 2006 by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown from a specimen collected near Manjimup and the description was published in Nuytsia.[6] The specific epithet (pulchellus) is the diminutive form of the Latin word meaning "beautiful", hence "beautiful little",[7] referring to the flowers of this orchid.
The granite bunny orchid grows on granite outcrops between Windy Harbour and Albany, between Esperance and Israelite Bay and in the Darling Range near Perth.
Eriochilus pulchellus is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.