Eriochilus magenteus
D.L.JonesFlowering plant 10–25 cm tall. Leaf basal, ovate, acute, 15–35 mm long, 7–12 mm wide, usually bright shiny green, glabrous, incompletely developed at flowering time, subtended by a large hyaline bract. Flowering stem slender, 10–25 cm tall. Flowers 1 or 2, bright pink to magenta, pedicel (including ovary) 10–15 mm long, sheathed by broad truncate bract; dorsal sepal oblanceolate to spathulate, pink, 5–8 mm long; lateral sepals narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, with distinct claw, bright pink to magenta, 10–13 mm long; petals linear, pink, 6–7 mm long. Labellum pink to magenta distally, greenish or yellowish towards the base, with pinkish hairs; erect portion lacking obvious lateral lobes; mid-lobe expanded to 2–3 mm wide, ovate to obovate, convex, with erect hairs arranged in small clusters. Flowers Dec.–Mar.
EGL, EGU, VAlp. Also NSW, ACT. Confined to higher montane and alpine areas of the north-east where found on moist to wet grassy flats and meadows often in water-retentive soils near swamps and streams.
See note under Eriochilus cucullatus for distinguishing characters.
