Mysterious Ant Orchids

I cannot help myself saying this - I have done it before.

These plants are supposedly different species of Ant Orchids - of the Myrmechila genus.

But I have found these plants growing together, half way down Macquarie Pass

and they grow very closely together, yet somehow manage to keep their "differences".

It defies understanding (well, obviously, MY understanding).

Logic would dictate that the ancestors of one strain of these plants plants might well have found their way there.

But to postulate that two separate strains (or "species" if you like) have found their way to this isolated clearing within a rainforest (surrounded by unsuitable habitat for them); and that each species has established itself in this one little "opening" in the forest; yet they remain separate species, just seems so unlikely to me.

So, I fall back on the old Logical Saw of Occams Razor:

• "It is a principle urging one to select from among competing hypotheses that which makes the fewest assumptions."

Basically, how could such an unlikely event occur?

Or, put more simply, I want to be an Orchid Heretic here, and suggest that these variations which are evident are merely individual variations between particular flowers, and NOT representatives of different species at all.

Shock horror. I may be expelled from the Australasian Native Orchid Society for saying that.

Having said all that, I note that these "species" have been recognised for a very long time. They were raised to species status by Robert FitzGerald Australia's first great Orchid specialist. "His extraordinary skills gave rise to a volume of work completed over seven years called Australian Orchids".
"The standard author abbreviation Fitzg. is used to indicate this individual as the author when citing a botanical name."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_D._FitzGerald#Australian_Orchids

So if FitzGerald was not troubled by my "doubts", I shall accept his species as valid and good.

Of course, the newer taxonomists have played with his original naming (which were then both classed as "Chiloglottis"). But I am following the "new names", because this name is used to separate the Spring-flowering species of this tribe. They also have their lateral sepals held out to the side of the flower, not recurved under the Labellum (as with the true Chiloglottis group).

This species (M. formicifera) has 
the labellum diamond-shaped, 

7–10 mm long, 6–7.5 mm wide, 

with a narrow, shiny, black, ant-like callus (gland)

extending from the base to the apex.

Myrmechila formicifera

This species (M. trapeziformis) has 
the labellum 
which is spade-shaped to diamond-shaped,
7–10 mm long, 6–8 mm wide, 
with a short, shiny, black, ant-like callus (gland)
occupying the basal quarter of the upper surface.
In other words, the lower labellum is clean
on the part furthest from the flower stem.

Myrmechila trapeziformis

Myrmechila trapeziformis