Common fuzz orchid facts for kids

The common fuzz orchid (scientific name: Pinalia fitzalanii) is a cool plant that belongs to the amazing orchid family. It's called the "fuzz orchid" because its creamy yellow flowers have soft hairs on the outside! This orchid grows in clumps and can be found living on other plants or on rocks. You can spot it in wet places in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and tropical North Queensland in Australia.

What Does the Fuzz Orchid Look Like?

The common fuzz orchid is a type of plant that grows in clumps. It can live on trees (this is called an epiphyte) or on rocks (this is called a lithophyte). It has oval-shaped "false bulbs" called pseudobulbs, which are like storage units for water and nutrients. These pseudobulbs are about 150–200 mm (5.9–7.9 in) long and 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in) wide. They are covered with thin, papery brown covers called bracts.

Each pseudobulb has three or four stiff, egg-shaped leaves. These leaves are about 200–300 mm (7.9–12 in) long and 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) wide.

Its Unique Flowers

The common fuzz orchid produces between five and thirty-five creamy yellow flowers. These flowers are about 12–15 mm (0.47–0.59 in) long and wide. They grow on a flowering stem that can be 150–300 mm (5.9–12 in) long.

A cool thing about these flowers is that they have soft hairs on the outside. When they first open, they are wide, but then they become more cup-shaped. The flower has different parts:

• The side sepals (leaf-like parts) are 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) long and about 4 mm (0.16 in) wide.
• The top sepal is a bit narrower.
• The petals are 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long and about 2.5 mm (0.098 in) wide.
• The labellum (the special lip of the orchid flower) is 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide. It has a somewhat square tip and three small ridges down its middle.

You can usually see these beautiful orchids flowering between August and October.

How Was It Named?

The common fuzz orchid was first officially described in 1882. A scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller gave it the name Eria fitzalanii. He wrote about it in a science publication called Southern Science Record.

The very first plant specimen used to describe this orchid was collected near the Mulgrave River. It was found by a person named Eugene Fitzalan. Later, in 1891, another scientist named Otto Kuntze changed its name to Pinalia fitzalanii. The second part of its scientific name, fitzalanii, is a way to honor Eugene Fitzalan, who first collected the plant.

Where Does the Fuzz Orchid Grow?

The Pinalia fitzalanii orchid loves to grow in humid (moist) places within forests and woodlands. It can be found growing on rocks or on trees.

You can find this orchid in several places:

• The Solomon Islands
• New Guinea
• The Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia, reaching as far south as Townsville.