Dipodium elegantulum

Dipodium elegantulum is a tuberous, perennial, saprophytic herb. Between August and December it produces a flowering stem 500–800 mm (20–31 in) tall bearing between twenty and sixty flowers. The flowers are pale to dark pink with a few darker spots and streaks near the tips and 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) wide. The dorsal sepal is linear to lance-shaped, 14–17 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long, 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide and the lateral sepals are a similar shape but slightly longer and narrower. The petals are a similar shape but slightly curved, 13–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long, about 3 mm (0.1 in), free from each other and the sepals. The labellum is dark pink and projects forwards, 14–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) long, 4–5 mm (0.2–0.2 in) wide with an upturned tip and a narrow central band of mauve hairs up to 0.5 mm (0.02 in) long.[3][4]

Dipodium atropurpureum was first formally described in 1991 by David Jones and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research from a specimen collected near Mareeba.[1] The specific epithet (elegantulum) is a Latin word meaning "very fine",[5] referring to the flowers of this orchid.[4]

The elegant hyacinth orchid is widespread in forest and grassy woodland between the Mount Windsor Tableland, the Hervey Range and Charters Towers.[3][4]