Genoplesium despectans, commonly known as the sharp midge orchid and known as Corunastylis despectans in Australia, is a small terrestrial orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single thin leaf fused to the flowering stem and up to forty five small, dark purple or green and purple flowers.
Genoplesium despectans is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single thin leaf NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and fused to the flowering stem with the free part NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. Up to forty five dark purple or green and purple flowers are crowded along a flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The flowers lean downwards and are about 5.5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The flowers are inverted so that the labellum is above the column rather than below it. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals are linear to lance-shaped, about 4sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and spread apart from each other. The petals are egg-shaped, about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with a pointed tip. The labellum is lance-shaped, thick and fleshy, about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and sharply pointed with fine teeth along its edges. There is a narrow lance-shaped callus in the centre of the labellum and extending almost to its tip. Flowering occurs between December and April.[1] [2] [3]
The sharp midge orchid was first formally described in 1858 by Joseph Dalton Hooker who gave it the name Prasophyllum despectans and published the description in Flora Antarctica.[4] [5] In 1989, David Jones and Mark Clements changed the name to Genoplesium despectans[6] and in 2002 changed the name again to Corunastylis despectans.[7] The specific epithet (despectans) is derived from a Latin word meaning "to look down upon".[8]
Genoplesium despectans grows in heath and heathy forest south from Wollongong in New South Wales and is common and widespread in Victoria. It also found in the south-east of South Australia and in Tasmania.[9]