Genoplesium sigmoideum

Description

Genoplesium sigmoideum is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single thin leaf with a reddish base and 80–140 mm (3–6 in) long, fused to the flowering stem with the free part 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long. Between five and twenty flowers are crowded along a flowering stem 20–40 mm (0.8–2 in) long, reaching to a height 100–180 mm (4–7 in). The flowers lean downwards, are dark red and about 3.5 mm (0.1 in) wide. The flowers are inverted so that the labellum is above the column rather than below it. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, about 2 mm (0.08 in) long and 1.5 mm (0.06 in) wide and concave. The lateral sepals are linear to lance-shaped, about 4 mm (0.2 in) long, 1 mm (0.04 in) wide and spread widely apart with a whitish gland on the tip. The petals are linear to egg-shaped, about 2 mm (0.08 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide with a prominent S-shaped gland on the tip. The labellum is elliptic to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, about 2 mm (0.08 in) long, 1.5 mm (0.06 in) wide with its edges densely covered with short hairs. There is a thick, tapering, dark purplish-red callus in the centre of the labellum and extending almost to its tip. Flowering occurs in December and January.