Rabbit Orchid

The rabbit orchid is a tuberous perennial herb growing to a height of 6–20 cm (2–8 in), sometimes 30 cm (10 in) with one to three flowers. The leaf is glabrous, variable in size and shape but mostly lance-shaped to broadly egg-shaped to oblong, 30–120 mm (1–5 in) long and 5–23 mm (0.2–0.9 in) wide. There are one to three small flowers, sometimes all white but more usually white, pink and red. The top sepal at the back of the flower is about 11 mm (0.4 in) long, dark reddish, spoon-shaped and forms a hood over the column. The back of the dorsal sepal has many glandular hairs. The lower, lateral sepals are white or pink, wide in the middle, taper towards both ends and 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long. The petals forming the "ears" are erect, purplish-red, very narrow linear in shape but club-shaped on the ends, 16–30 mm (0.6–1 in) long and have many glandular hairs. The central labellum is white with pink or red markings, egg-shaped to almost circular, about 7 mm (0.3 in) long and has a short claw. The labellum has 2 to 4 rows of calli with large heads. The column is erect with wide wings and pink markings. The species flowers from August to November, much more prolifically after recent bushfires, and delayed in some places until after rainfall.

Rabbit orchid forms colonies using vegetative reproduction in a range of soil types in heath, scrub or forest, mainly in damp areas. It is widely distributed in Victoria, Tasmania, southern South Australia and the south-west of Western Australia.