Corunastylis laminata facts for kids

The red midge orchid, officially called Corunastylis laminata, is a small and unique type of orchid. It grows only in New South Wales, Australia. This special plant has a single thin leaf that is attached to its flowering stem. It can produce up to twenty bright reddish flowers. You can find it growing in open areas like heathlands and grassy forests in a few spots along the South Coast and Central Tablelands.

What Does the Red Midge Orchid Look Like?

The red midge orchid is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also a deciduous herb, which means it sheds its leaves at certain times. It has an underground tuber, which is like a small storage organ, helping it survive.

Its single leaf is about 100 to 150 millimeters (4 to 6 inches) long. This leaf is attached to the flowering stem, with only a small part (about 10 to 15 millimeters or 0.4 to 0.6 inches) sticking out freely.

Between five and twenty bright reddish flowers grow along a flowering stem that is about 15 to 25 millimeters (0.6 to 1 inch) long. The flowers usually lean slightly downwards. Each flower is about 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.20 inches) long and 5 to 5.5 millimeters (0.20 to 0.22 inches) wide.

Like other orchids in its genus, the flowers of the red midge orchid are upside down. This means the labellum (a special lip-like petal) is above the column (the central part of the flower) instead of below it.

The top petal, called the dorsal sepal, is about 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) long and 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide. It has smooth edges and darker colored stripes. The side petals, called lateral sepals, are 3 to 3.5 millimeters (0.12 to 0.14 inches) long and about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) wide. These sepals point downwards and have a small hump at their base with a sharp tip. Sometimes, there's a tiny gland (a small bump) on the tip of these side sepals.

The main petals are 2 to 2.5 millimeters (0.08 to 0.10 inches) long and about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) wide, with smooth edges. The labellum is shaped like an oblong or an egg, narrower at the base. It's about 2.5 millimeters (0.10 inches) long and 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) wide and feels fleshy. There's a wide, tapering callus (a raised, thickened part) in the middle of the labellum, reaching almost to its tip.

These orchids typically bloom from January to May.

How Did the Red Midge Orchid Get Its Name?

The red midge orchid was first officially described in 1885 by a botanist named Robert D. FitzGerald. He gave it the scientific name Prasophyllum laminatum.

Later, in 2004, two other botanists, David Jones and Mark Clements, changed its name to Corunastylis laminata. The second part of its scientific name, laminata, comes from the Latin word lamina. This word means "a thin plate," "blade," or "sheet," which might refer to the shape of its leaf or parts of its flower.

Where Does the Red Midge Orchid Live?

Corunastylis laminata grows in heathy areas or grassy forests. You can find it in the region between Jervis Bay and Bowral in New South Wales.