Corunastylis trifida facts for kids

The Corunastylis trifida, also known as the blackish midge orchid, is a small type of orchid. It grows only in New South Wales, Australia. This special orchid has a single thin leaf that is joined to its flowering stem. It can have up to twenty-five dark purplish-black and green flowers. You can find it growing in heathlands in different parts of the Sydney Basin.

What Does the Blackish Midge Orchid Look Like?

The blackish midge orchid is a plant that lives for many years. It has an underground tuber (like a small potato) and a single thin leaf. This leaf can be about 8 to 12 inches (200-300 mm) long. A small part of the leaf, about 0.6 to 0.8 inches (15-20 mm) long, sticks out freely.

Its flowering stem is about 0.4 to 1.2 inches (10-30 mm) long. Along this stem, you'll see between five and twenty-five flowers. These flowers are dark purplish-black and green. They usually hang down a little. Each flower is about 0.12 to 0.16 inches (3-4 mm) long and 0.16 to 0.20 inches (4-5 mm) wide.

Like other orchids in its group, the flowers of the blackish midge orchid are upside down. This means the labellum (a special petal) is above the column (the part that holds the pollen) instead of below it.

• The top sepal (part of the outer flower) is about 0.08 to 0.10 inches (2-2.5 mm) long. It has smooth edges and darker stripes.
• The side sepals are about 0.12 inches (3 mm) long. They have a small hump at their base and a sharp tip.
• The petals are about 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) long. They also have smooth edges and a sharp tip.
• The labellum is egg-shaped, thick, and fleshy. It's about 0.12 inches (3 mm) long. It has a thick, tapering ridge called a callus down its middle.

These orchids typically bloom from January to April.

How Did the Blackish Midge Orchid Get Its Name?

The blackish midge orchid was first officially described in 1941 by a person named Herman Rupp. He gave it the name Prasophyllum trifidum. This description was published in a magazine called The Victorian Naturalist. The plant he studied was found near Castlecrag.

Later, in 2004, two botanists, David Jones and Mark Clements, changed its name to Corunastylis trifida.

The second part of its scientific name, trifida, comes from a Latin word. It means "three-cleft" or "split into three parts." This refers to the shape of a part of the flower called the column.

It's interesting to know that some plant experts, like those who manage the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, still use the older name, Prasophyllum trifidum, for this orchid.

Where Does the Blackish Midge Orchid Live?

The Corunastylis trifida grows in heathlands or heathy forests. You can find it in the area between Kurri Kurri and Middle Harbour in New South Wales.