Three-horned Bird Orchid

Chiloglottis triceratops achieves pollination through elaborate chemical deception, releasing volatile compounds that mimic the sex pheromone of female thynnine wasps to lure males into pseudo-copulation. Resting flat against damp soil among moss and rotting leaf litter, its twin prostrate leaves nourish an underground tuber that persists when top growth dies back. The dark, horn-like calli clustered along the center of its labellum guide duped wasps directly into contact with the reproductive column to ensure pollen transfer.