Common jewel orchid facts for kids

The common jewel orchid (scientific name: Zeuxine oblonga) is a special type of orchid. It grows only in northern Australia. This plant has up to seven narrow, egg-shaped leaves. It also has many small green and white flowers. These flowers grow close together on a stem that feels a bit fleshy and hairy. You can usually find this orchid growing in wet forests and rainforests.

About the Common Jewel Orchid

The common jewel orchid is a plant that grows on the ground. It has tubers, which are like small underground storage organs. This plant is also a perennial, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is a herb, so it has soft stems, not woody ones like a tree.

What the Orchid Looks Like

This orchid usually has three to seven dark green leaves. They are shaped like narrow eggs. Each leaf is about 40 to 80 millimeters (1.6 to 3.1 inches) long. They are also about 20 to 30 millimeters (0.8 to 1.2 inches) wide. These leaves grow in a loose circle, which is called a rosette.

The common jewel orchid produces between five and thirty flowers. These flowers are a mix of dull green and white. Each flower is small, about 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) long and 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) wide. They grow close together on a stem that is pinkish, fleshy, and hairy. This stem can be 100 to 300 millimeters (3.9 to 11.8 inches) tall.

Flower Parts

The outside of the flowers feels a bit hairy. The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, is about 4 millimeters long. It is green with pink edges. This sepal forms a small hood over the central part of the flower, called the column.

The side sepals are green and about 3 millimeters long. The petals are white and also about 3 millimeters long. The side sepals spread out from each other. The labellum is the special lip-like petal of the orchid. It is white, about 4 millimeters long, and has two small parts at its end. This orchid usually flowers from July to September.

Naming the Common Jewel Orchid

The scientific name for this orchid, Zeuxine oblonga, was first officially described in 1920. Two scientists, Richard Sanders Rogers and Cyril Tenison White, gave it this name. They published their description in a science journal called Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland.

The second part of its scientific name, oblonga, is a Latin word. It means "longer than broad," which describes the shape of its leaves.

Where the Orchid Grows

The common jewel orchid is found only in northern Australia. This means it is endemic to this area. You can find it in the far north-east of Western Australia. It also grows between the Keep and Adelaide Rivers in the Northern Territory. In Queensland, it is found from the Cape York Peninsula all the way down to Coffs Harbour in New South Wales.

This orchid often grows in groups. It likes dark, moist places on the floor of rainforests. It is quite common in wet, swampy areas. These areas usually have peaty soils right next to streams.

Protecting the Common Jewel Orchid

In the Northern Territory, the common jewel orchid is listed as a Vulnerable plant. This means it is at risk of disappearing. Scientists believe there are fewer than 1,000 of these plants left in the territory. The area where they grow is also very small, less than 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles).

Threats to the Orchid

Some things that threaten this orchid include:

• Feral animals, like pigs, can disturb the plants.
• Changes to how water flows in its habitat (called hydrology) can harm it.
• People collecting the plants for gardens can also be a problem.

In Western Australia, the government's Department of Parks and Wildlife lists this orchid as "Priority Two." This means it is not well-known and is found in only a few places.