Brachypeza archytas (Ridl.) Garay 1972 Photo by David Banks

Common Name The Sage Orchid

Flower Size .35 to .4" [.8 to 1 cm]

Found only on Christmas Island low down on trunks of large trees at elevations of sea level to 100 meters as a small to medium sized, hot growing epiphyte with a short stem enveloped completely by imbricating leaf bearing sheaths and carrying 4 to 5 fan-shaped, strap shaped, often yellowish green, unequally bilobed apically leaves that blooms in the spring through fall on an axillary, arching, 6 to14" [15 to 35 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence with crowded successively opening flowers.

Synonyms *Saccolabium archytas Ridl. 1891; Sarcochilus archytas (Ridl.) Schltr. 1913

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006