18. Adenochilus, Hook. f.

Slender terrestrial herbs. Leaf solitary, placed near the middle of the stem, ovate. Peduncle slender, 1-flowered, with 1 or 2 sheathing bracts between the flower and the leaf, the upper of which sometimes bears in its axil the minute rudiment of a second flower. Flower small. Upper sepal erect, incurved, concave or almost galeate; lateral lanceolate, placed under the lip. Petals linear-lanceolate, almost equalling the sepals. Lip shortly clawed on to the base of the column, 3-lobed; lateral lobes large, erect; middle lobe smaller, caudate, reflexed; disc and middle lobe with several rows of small stalked calli. Column slender, curved, winged; wings produced upwards into 2 toothed lobes. Stigma prominent, placed just under the rostellum. Anther terminal, erect, 2-celled; pollinia 4 in each cell, granular.

The genus is limited to two species: one endemic in New Zealand, the other (A. Nortoni, Fitzgerald) in Australia. It is closely allied to both Caladenia and Chiloglottis, differing from the former in the wing of the column extending behind the anther, and from the latter in the solitary leaf and glandular-pubescent perianth.