# Eriochilus pulchellus

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Species of orchid

Granite bunny orchid Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Monocots Order: Asparagales Family: Orchidaceae Subfamily: Orchidoideae Tribe: Diurideae Genus: Eriochilus Species: E. pulchellus Binomial name Eriochilus pulchellus Hopper & A.P.Br.[1]

***Eriochilus pulchellus***, commonly known as the **granite bunny orchid**,[2] is a plant in the orchid family [Orchidaceae](/source/Orchidaceae) and is [endemic](/source/Endemism) to [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia). It has a single egg-shaped leaf and up to ten small white flowers with red markings. A relatively common species, it grows in shallow soil on granite outcrops. Its fleshy leaf is held above the ground on a thin stalk.

## Description

*Eriochilus pulchellus* is a terrestrial, [perennial](/source/Perennial_plant), [deciduous](/source/Deciduous), [herb](/source/Herbaceous_plant) with an underground tuber and a single, egg-shaped to oval leaf 5–15 mm (0.2–0.6 in) long and 3–8 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide. The leaf is held above the ground on a thin stalk 20–70 mm (0.8–3 in) long. Up to ten white flowers with a few red markings, about 10 mm (0.4 in) long and 8 mm (0.3 in) wide are borne on a stem, 20–150 mm (0.8–6 in) tall. The [dorsal](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dorsal) [sepal](/source/Sepal) is egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide. The [lateral](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lateral) sepals are 10–17 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long, 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide and spread forwards. The [petals](/source/Petal) are dull green with red tips and edges and are 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. The [labellum](/source/Labellum_(botany)) is 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long, about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide and has three lobes. The middle lobe is 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and is fleshy with dark red bristles. Flowering occurs from April to May.[2][3][4][5][6]

## Taxonomy and naming

*Eriochilus pulchellus* was first formally described in 2006 by [Stephen Hopper](/source/Stephen_Hopper) and [Andrew Brown](/source/Andrew_Phillip_Brown) from a specimen collected near [Manjimup](/source/Manjimup%2C_Western_Australia) and the description was published in *[Nuytsia](/source/Nuytsia_(journal))*.[7] The [specific epithet](/source/Botanical_nomenclature) (*pulchellus*) is the diminutive form of the [Latin](/source/Latin) word meaning "beautiful", hence "beautiful little",[8] referring to the flowers of this orchid.[4]

## Distribution and habitat

The granite bunny orchid grows on granite outcrops between [Windy Harbour](/source/Windy_Harbour%2C_Western_Australia) and [Albany](/source/Albany%2C_Western_Australia), between [Esperance](/source/Esperance%2C_Western_Australia) and [Israelite Bay](/source/Israelite_Bay%2C_Western_Australia) and in the [Darling Range](/source/Darling_Scarp) near [Perth](/source/Perth).[3][4][5][9]

## Conservation

*Eriochilus pulchellus* is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government [Department of Parks and Wildlife](/source/Department_of_Parks_and_Wildlife_(Western_Australia)).[9]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-WCSP_1-0)** ["*Eriochilus pulchellus*"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180814002529/http://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=346848). *[World Checklist of Selected Plant Families](/source/World_Checklist_of_Selected_Plant_Families) (WCSP)*. [Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew](/source/Royal_Botanic_Gardens%2C_Kew). Archived from [the original](http://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=346848) on August 14, 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Jones_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Jones_2-1) Jones, David L. (2006). *A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories*. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 277. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1877069124](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1877069124).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Nuytsia_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Nuytsia_3-1) Hopper, Stephen; Brown, Andrew Phillip (2006). ["New and reinstated taxa in *Eriochilus*"](https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/science/nuytsia/449.pdf) (PDF). *Nuytsia*. **16** (1): 48–49. Retrieved 13 August 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Brown_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Brown_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Brown_4-2) Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). *Orchids of Western Australia*. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 260. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780980296457](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780980296457).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hoffman_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hoffman_5-1) Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). *Orchids of South-West Australia* (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 227. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780646562322](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780646562322).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Archer_6-0)** Archer, William. ["Pretty bunny orchid - *Eriochilus pulchellus*"](http://esperancewildflowers.blogspot.com/2009/05/pretty-bunny-orchid-eriochilus.html). Esperance Wildflowers. Retrieved 13 August 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-APNI_7-0)** ["*Eriochilus pulchellus*"](https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/615234). APNI. Retrieved 13 August 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-RWB_8-0)** Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). *The Composition of Scientific Words*. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 132.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FloraBase_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FloraBase_9-1) ["*Eriochilus pulchellus*"](https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/13866). *[FloraBase](/source/FloraBase)*. Western Australian Government [Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions](/source/Department_of_Biodiversity%2C_Conservation_and_Attractions).

Taxon identifiers Eriochilus pulchellus Wikidata: Q10273628 Wikispecies: Eriochilus pulchellus APNI: 205858 CoL: 3B3M8 FloraBase: 13866 FoAO2: Eriochilus pulchellus GBIF: 2791965 iNaturalist: 148241 IPNI: 77079947-1 Open Tree of Life: 3970615 Plant List: kew-346848 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77079947-1 Species+: 21698 Tropicos: 100186849 WFO: wfo-0000808611

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Eriochilus pulchellus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eriochilus_pulchellus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eriochilus_pulchellus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.