Wispy umbrella orchid

Description

Bulbophyllum gracillimum (Synonym; Cirrhopetalum gracillimum), commonly known as the wispy umbrella orchid, is a species of epiphytic orchid. It has a creeping rhizome, widely spaced, olive green pseudobulbs, each with a single thick, leathery, fleshy leaf and between six and ten purplish red flowers spreading in a semicircular umbel. The flowers have distinctive long, thread-like tails on the lateral sepals. It has a wide distribution and is found in New Guinea, New Caledonia, Indonesia, Malaysia and part of tropical North Queensland. Bulbophyllum gracillimum is an epiphytic herb that has a creeping rhizome with olive green pseudobulbs 10-18 mm (0.4-0.7 in) long and 10-15 mm (0.39-0.59 in) wide well spaced along it. Each pseudobulb has a single thick, leathery, olive green, oblong to narrow egg-shaped leaf 50-80 mm (2-3 in) long and 30-35 mm (1.2-1.4 in) wide on its end. Between six and ten flowers are arranged in a spreading, semi-circular umbel 150-250 mm (5.9-9.8 in) long. The flowers are purplish red, resupinate, 30-50 mm (1.2-2.0 in) long and 5-8 mm (0.20-0.31 in) wide. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, about 3 mm (0.12 in) long and 2 mm (0.079 in) wide, forming a hood over the column. There is a long, hair-like tip 5-6 mm (0.20-0.24 in) long on the dorsal sepal. The lateral sepals are 7-8 mm (0.28-0.31 in) long, 3-4 mm (0.12-0.16 in) wide and fused to each other along their sides at the base. The ends of the lateral sepals taper into long, thread-like "tails" 18-25 mm (0.71–0.98 in) long. The petals droop with long hairs on the tip, 5-6 mm (0.20-0.24 in) long and about 1 mm (0.039 in) wide. The labellum is white to cream-coloured, fleshy, curved, about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide with a groove along its midline. Flowering occurs between August and March in Australia.