Satyrium microrrhynchum, top of the flower spike

The narrowly lance-shaped bracts exceed the flowers here in length, still erect among the buds and recently opened upper flowers near the tip of the Satyrium microrrhynchum flower spike. The bracts, later to be reflexed (down), are bright green here with shine in their young surface cells.

The bonnet-like hood formed by the lip or labellum of the orchid shelters the central column. It sometimes has a prominent flap at its upper margin. The specific name, microrrhynchum, is derived from the Greek words mikros meaning small and rhyncho meaning provided with a snout or beak, i.e. a projecting appendage.

Below the column the three nearly oblong sepals with rounded tips are positioned slightly lower than the two tapering petals, smaller than them; all equally pendent. Small dark green dots are scattered sparsely upon most of the flower segments in the photo. Some S. microrrhynchum flowers have purplish brown central patches near the tips of their sepals. The general flower colour is nearly white to cream or greenish cream.

Flowering happens from midsummer, sometimes into early autumn (Johnson, et al, 2007, American Journal of Botany, 94(1), pp. 47-55; Wikipedia; www.orchidspecies.com).