Common elbow orchid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Common elbow orchid
Arthrochilus huntianus in Lerderderg State Park
Scientific classification
Genus:	Arthrochilus
Species:	huntianus

The common elbow orchid (scientific name: Arthrochilus huntianus) is a special kind of orchid that grows only in southeastern Australia. It doesn't have regular leaves. Instead, its flower looks a bit like an insect, with a special part called a labellum that hangs down like a bait.

This orchid can be tricky to spot because its stem is thin and wire-like, and its flowers are small and not very bright. Like other orchids in its group, tiny thynnid wasps help pollinate its flowers. Sometimes, people also call it Thynninorchis huntiana.

What Does It Look Like?

The common elbow orchid is a plant that lives for many years. It grows from an underground tuber, which is like a small storage root. This tuber can also create new tubers, helping the plant spread.

Each orchid has a thin, green or reddish stem that grows about 6 to 15 centimeters (2 to 6 inches) tall. On this stem, you'll find up to ten flowers that look like insects. Each flower is about 9 to 11 millimeters (0.35 to 0.43 inches) long.

Flower Parts

The flower has different parts:

• The dorsal sepal and petals are small, about 3 to 4 millimeters long.
• The lateral sepals are a bit longer, around 5 to 6 millimeters long.
• All these parts point downwards towards the bottom of the flower.

The most interesting part is the labellum. It's about 5 to 6 millimeters long and hangs from a thin stalk. The labellum looks like an insect with:

• A shiny black "head" that has two parts like antennae.
• A "body" (called a thorax) covered in long purplish or reddish hairs.
• Two long, branched "tails" with tiny bristles.

The orchid usually blooms from November to March.

How It Was Named

The common elbow orchid was first officially described in 1889 by a scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He first called it Drakaea huntiana. He wrote about it in a science magazine called The Victorian Naturalist. The plant he studied was found "between loose stones on Mount Tingiringi".

Later, in 1972, another scientist named Donald Frederick Blaxell changed its name to Arthrochilus huntianus. Then, in 2002, David Jones and Mark Clements suggested calling it Thynninorchis huntiana. However, not everyone agrees on this last name.

The name huntianus was chosen to honor "Robt. Hunt, Esq." He was a person who discovered this orchid species.

Different Types of Common Elbow Orchid

In 1998, David Jones described two slightly different types (subspecies) of A. huntianus:

• Arthrochilus huntianus subsp. huntianus: This type grows in mainland Australia and used to be found on Flinders Island.
• Arthrochilus huntianus subsp. nothofagicola: This type grows in thick rainforests, often near a tree called Nothofagus cunninghamii. It has a smaller labellum and might pollinate itself.

The Arthrochilus huntianus subsp. nothofagicola is in danger. It is listed as "critically endangered" by the Australian Government and "endangered" in Tasmania. This means it's at high risk of disappearing forever. This special type of orchid is only found in one known place. It faces threats from animals like the introduced superb lyrebird, as well as from fires, logging, and changes in climate.

Where It Lives

The common elbow orchid grows in woodlands and forests. You can usually find it among fallen leaves on the ground. In New South Wales, it mostly grows along the Great Dividing Range, south of the Blue Mountains. It's also found widely across eastern Victoria. It used to live on Flinders Island in Tasmania but is now thought to be gone from there.

How It Reproduces

Like other Arthrochilus orchids, the common elbow orchid is pollinated by male thynnid wasps. These wasps help carry pollen from one flower to another. The orchid can also make new plants by growing new tubers underground, which is a way of reproducing without needing seeds.