Chiloglottis platyptera
Winged ant orchid
This small orchid was only discovered in 2007, whilst carrying out palm surveys in the mountains. It is a miniature ground orchid with a pair of small basal leaves and a greenish brown flower 15mm in length, appearing in September.
This species is also found in coastal New South Wales from Newcastle into southeast Queensland, where it is called the Winged ant orchid. The genus has 27 species, mainly in Australia and a few in New Zealand. Each plant has one basal pair of 25 x 10mm leaves, ovate to lanceolate. It produces a single flower stalk up to 5cm long, with a solitary flower on top – 15mm across, greenish brown with a black labellum callus.
The flower resembles a wingless female wasp and emits a pheromone to attract a male wasp to copulate and affect pollination. Then the stalk elongates up to 20cm tall to disperse seeds from its ripe capsule.