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Northern elf orchid facts for kids

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Northern elf orchid
LR001 72dpi Acianthus sublestus.jpg
Acianthella sublesta illustration by Lewis Roberts
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
(unranked):
(unranked):
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Acianthella
Species:
A. sublesta
Binomial name
Acianthella sublesta
(Dockrill) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.

Acianthella sublesta is a member of the Acianthella ("elf orchids"), which is a small genus of tropical ground orchids previously included in Acianthus but distinguished "by tiny green flowers on long thin ovaries, sepals of similar shape and size, lacking apical clubs, narrow petals and no basal glands on the labellum."

It is very localised, growing from the Atherton Tableland to Eungella in Queensland at altitudes from 700 to 1300 m. in loose soil and litter in rainforest or along embankments and edges of tracks. It flowers from March to May. The flowers are green, tiny (3 mm diameter), and short-lived on green stems 30–60 mm tall. The callus plate extends for the length of the labellum. The anther is green, pink or purplish.

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