Sarcochilus hirticalcar, commonly known as the harlequin orchid,[1] is a small epiphytic orchid endemic to Queensland. It has up to eight bright green leaves and up to twelve cream-coloured to bright yellow flowers with purplish to reddish brown bands.
Sarcochilus hirticalcar is a small epiphytic herb with stems NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long with between two and ten leathery, linear or curved bright green leaves NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. Between two and twelve cream-coloured to bright yellow flowers with purplish to reddish bands, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide are arranged on a flowering stem NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long. The dorsal sepal is NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide and the lateral sepals are slightly longer. The petals are NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and about 2.5sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The labellum is NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide and has three lobes. The side lobes are erect with purple stripes on the inside and the middle lobe is densely covered with white hairs. Flowering occurs between October and December but only up to three flowers are open at once.[2] [3]
The harlequin orchid was first formally described in 1967 by Alick Dockrill who gave it the name Parasarcochilus hirticalcar and published the description in Australasian Sarcanthinae.[4] In 1998 Mark Clements and Benjamin John Wallace changed the name to Sarcochilus hirticalcar.[5] The specific epithet (hirticalcar) is derived from the Latin words hirtus meaning "hairy", "rough" or "shaggy"[6] and calcar meaning "a spur".
Sarcochilus hirticalcar grows on trees in rainforest and along rivers, often growing on Dillenia alata. It is only known from the McIlwraith Range where it grows at altitudes of between NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1.