Brittle urchin orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brittle urchin orchid |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Bryobium
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| Species: |
eriaeoides
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The brittle urchin orchid (scientific name: Bryobium eriaeoides) is a type of orchid that grows on other plants or rocks. It forms large clumps and has thick, green stems called pseudobulbs. Each pseudobulb has two leaves. This orchid produces between three and twelve cup-shaped flowers. These flowers can be white or purplish. Sometimes, they don't open all the way. You can find this special orchid in New Guinea and Queensland, Australia.
Contents
What Does the Brittle Urchin Orchid Look Like?
The brittle urchin orchid is a plant that grows in big groups. It can grow on trees (this is called being an epiphyte) or on rocks (this is called being a lithophyte). Its stems, called pseudobulbs, are shaped like cylinders. They are about 6 to 10 centimeters (2.4 to 3.9 inches) long and 1 to 1.4 centimeters (0.39 to 0.55 inches) wide. When they are young, these pseudobulbs are covered with thin, papery white bracts. Bracts are like small, modified leaves.
Each pseudobulb has one thin leaf. This leaf is shaped like an oval or a spear. It is usually about 15 to 20 centimeters (5.9 to 7.9 inches) long and 2 to 3 centimeters (0.79 to 1.2 inches) wide.
The orchid produces a flowering stem that is about 3 to 5 centimeters (1.2 to 2.0 inches) long. On this stem, you will find three to twelve cup-shaped flowers. Each flower is about 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) long and 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) wide. The flowers are usually white or purplish.
Flower Details
A cool thing about these flowers is that they are self-pollinating. This means they can pollinate themselves without needing insects or other plants. They also open very slowly, or sometimes not at all!
The parts of the flower include sepals and petals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. Petals are the colorful parts of the flower. Both the sepals and petals are about 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) long and 2 millimeters (0.079 inches) wide.
The orchid also has a special lip-like petal called a labellum. This labellum is about 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) long and wide. It has three parts, or lobes. The two side lobes stand upright. The middle lobe is shaped like a triangle and has three small ridges on it. These orchids usually bloom from August to October.
How Was This Orchid Named?
The brittle urchin orchid was first officially described in 1888. A botanist named Frederick Manson Bailey gave it the name Dendrobium eriaeoides. He wrote about it in a book called A Synopsis of the Queensland Flora.
Later, in 2002, two other botanists, Mark Clements and David Jones, changed its name to Bryobium eriaeoides. Scientists sometimes change plant names as they learn more about how different plants are related.
The second part of its scientific name, eriaeoides, tells us something interesting. It means "like Eria". Eria is another group, or genus, of orchids. The ending -oides comes from Latin and means "like" or "resembling." So, the name tells us this orchid looks similar to those in the Eria genus.
Where Does This Orchid Live?
The brittle urchin orchid likes to grow in places that are very humid, meaning they have a lot of moisture in the air. It grows on trees and rocks. You can find it in New Guinea and in the state of Queensland, Australia. In Queensland, it lives in areas from the Iron Range all the way down to near the city of Townsville.
