Eriochilus valens, commonly known as the red-lipped bunny orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It has a single egg-shaped leaf held above the ground and up to four small pink or white and pink flowers. It grows near winter-west swamps and usually only flowers after fire the previous summer.
Eriochilus valens is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single egg-shaped leaf NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The leaf is held above the ground on a thin stalk NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 high. Up to four white or pink flowers about 10sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 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=2NaNsigfig=2 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and spread forwards. The petals are narrow spatula-shaped NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and are held close to the dorsal sepal. The labellum is pink to red, 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 red bristles. Flowering occurs from March to May but is much more prolific after fire the previous summer.[1] [2] [3] [4]
Eriochilus valens was first formally described in 2006 by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown from a specimen collected in the Bakers Junction Nature Reserve north of Albany and the description was published in Nuytsia.[5] The specific epithet (valens) is a Latin word meaning "strong" or "vigorous",[6] referring to the large labellum of this orchid.
The red-lipped bunny orchid grows in woodland and shrubland around winter-wet swamps, mainly between Walpole and Albany.
Eriochilus valens is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.