Genoplesium tenellum
Genoplesium tenellum is a small terrestrial orchid that grows only in eastern Australia. It has a single cylindrical leaf that wraps around the flowering stem and can have 5–21 green flowers with reddish-purple lines.
Description in simple terms:
- The plant is a short, ground-dwelling herb with an underground tuber.
- The leaf is about 10–20 cm long with most of it wrapped around the flowering stem.
- The flowering stem is about 10–20 cm long and carries 5–21 small green flowers (4–5 mm long) with reddish-purple markings.
- Like other Genoplesium species, the flowers are inverted, so the lip (labellum) sits above the column.
- The flower parts include a hooded dorsal sepal, narrow lateral sepals, and narrowly oval petals with red edges and a central red stripe. The labellum is small and features reddish-purple hairs and a purple, fleshy callus at its base.
flowering period:
- Flowers have been observed from late January to late May.
Taxonomy notes (simplified):
- First described in 2013 as Corunastylis tenella from specimens near Inverell.
- Renamed Genoplesium tenellum in 2016 by Julian Shaw.
- The name tenellum means delicate or dainty.
Habitat and distribution:
- It grows in woodlands with shrubs and scattered trees, near granite outcrops, at elevations of about 710–1,000 meters.
- It is known only from near Torrington in northern New South Wales and Stanthorpe in far southeastern Queensland.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:30 (CET).