Christmas Island urchin orchid facts for kids

The Christmas Island urchin orchid, also known as Bryobium retusum, is a unique type of orchid. It grows on other plants, like trees, but it doesn't take their food. This kind of plant is called an epiphyte. It grows in small groups and has thick, green, oval-shaped parts called pseudobulbs. Each pseudobulb has two leaves.

This orchid produces between seven and twelve pale green flowers. These flowers are a bit hairy and don't last very long. They can even pollinate themselves! You can find this interesting orchid in many places, from Java to New Caledonia.

What Does the Christmas Island Urchin Orchid Look Like?

The Christmas Island urchin orchid is a small herb that grows in dense clumps. It has crowded, cylinder-shaped pseudobulbs. These pseudobulbs are about 15–20 millimetres (0.59–0.79 in) long and 7–10 millimetres (0.28–0.39 in) wide. Think of them like small, thick stems that store water.

Leaves and Flowers

Each pseudobulb has two leaves. These leaves are long and narrow, like a spear or a line. They can be 60–130 millimetres (2.4–5.1 in) long and 6–8 millimetres (0.24–0.31 in) wide.

The orchid's flowers are pale green and quite small. They are about 2.5 millimetres (0.098 in) long and wide. There are usually seven to twelve flowers on a short stem, which is about 10–25 millimetres (0.39–0.98 in) long. The outside of the flowers feels a bit hairy.

Flower Parts

The flowers have parts called sepals and petals. These are like the outer leaves of the flower. They are about 4 millimetres (0.16 in) long and 2 millimetres (0.079 in) wide. The petals are a little narrower than the sepals.

The orchid also has a special part called a labellum. This is like a lip on the flower. It's about 1 millimetre (0.039 in) long and wide and has a small bump called a callus. This orchid usually blooms from September to November.

How Did This Orchid Get Its Name?

The Christmas Island urchin orchid was first officially described in 1825. A scientist named Carl Ludwig Blume gave it the name Dendrolirium retusum. He wrote about it in a book called Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië.

Changing Names

Later, in 2005, two other scientists, Yan Peng Ng and Phillip Cribb, changed its name to Bryobium retusum. The second part of its scientific name, retusum, comes from a Latin word. It means "blunted," "rounded," or "notched at the end." This might describe the shape of one of its parts.

Where Does the Christmas Island Urchin Orchid Live?

The Christmas Island urchin orchid likes to grow high up in rainforest trees. It doesn't grow on the ground.

Global Homes

You can find this orchid in many different places around the world. It lives in Borneo, Java, and the Lesser Sunda Islands. It's also found in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia. Plus, it grows on Christmas Island, which is an Australian territory.