Yellow pauper orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow pauper orchid |
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| Illustration by Lewis Roberts | |
| Conservation status | |
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Near Threatened (NCA)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Aphyllorchis
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| Species: |
queenslandica
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The Aphyllorchis queenslandica, also known as the yellow pauper orchid, is a special type of orchid. It grows on the ground and does not have any leaves. This orchid gets its food from fungi in the soil, which is called being mycotrophic.
The yellow pauper orchid has up to twelve dull yellow flowers. These flowers grow on a thin, purple stem that looks a bit fleshy. This unique plant is found only in tropical north Queensland, Australia. It likes to grow in rainforests there.
Contents
What Does the Yellow Pauper Orchid Look Like?
The yellow pauper orchid is a plant that grows on land and does not have true leaves. It gets its food from fungi, which means it's a mycotrophic plant. It has a thin, purple stem that can be 300 to 700 mm (about 12 to 28 inches) long. This stem often has small white spots.
Even though it doesn't have true leaves, the stem has clear, leaf-like parts called bracts. Each bract is about 5 to 30 mm (0.2 to 1.2 inches) long and 6 to 11 mm (0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide. They have three lines running along them.
The plant usually has between six and twelve dull yellow flowers. Each flower is about 8 to 10 mm (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long and 10 to 12 mm (0.4 to 0.5 inches) wide. The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, is about 6 to 7 mm long. The side sepals are a bit shorter, about 5 to 6 mm long, and they curve outwards.
The labellum is a special part of the orchid flower. It's shaped a bit like a boat and has three sections. The middle section points forward, and the side sections curve upwards. You can see these orchids flowering between May and October.
How Was This Orchid Named?
The yellow pauper orchid, Aphyllorchis queenslandica, was first officially described in 1965. A scientist named Alick William Dockrill found a sample of the plant near a place called Helenvale. He then wrote about it in a publication called The Orchadian.
Where Does the Yellow Pauper Orchid Live?
You can find the yellow pauper orchid in a specific part of Australia. It grows between the towns of Cooktown and Babinda in Queensland. It lives in rainforests, often near streams. These orchids can be found from areas close to the sea up to about 400 meters (about 1,300 feet) above sea level.
Protecting the Yellow Pauper Orchid
The yellow pauper orchid is important to protect. The Queensland Government has listed this species as "Near threatened." This means that while it's not in immediate danger, its numbers could become low if we don't take care of its habitat. This listing is under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
See also
In Spanish: Aphyllorchis queenslandica para niños
