Crowded midge orchid facts for kids

The Genoplesium confertum, also called the crowded midge orchid, is a tiny orchid plant. It grows only in the south-east part of Queensland, Australia. This special orchid has a single thin leaf. This leaf is joined to its flower stem. It can have up to sixty small flowers. These flowers are reddish and green. They grow very close together, like a crowd. You can find this orchid in coastal areas where low-growing plants thrive.

What Does the Crowded Midge Orchid Look Like?

The crowded midge orchid is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. A tuber is like a small, round storage part. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so some parts might die back in certain seasons.

It has one thin leaf. This leaf is about 100 to 160 mm (4–6 in) long. It is only about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. The leaf is joined to the flowering stem. A small part of the leaf, about 11 to 13 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long, is free.

The Flowers

The orchid's flowering stem grows to be about 15 to 35 mm (0.6–1.4 in) tall. This stem is a bit taller than the leaf. It holds between ten and sixty flowers. These flowers are packed very closely together. They lean forward and are reddish with green tips. Each flower is about 3.5 mm (0.14 in) long and 3 mm (0.12 in) wide.

Orchid flowers are often upside down. This means the labellum (a special lip petal) is above the column (the central part) instead of below it.

• The dorsal sepal is the top part of the flower. It is pinkish-red and shaped like an egg. It is about 3 mm (0.12 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide.
• The lateral sepals are on the sides. They are thin and pointed, about 4 mm (0.16 in) long and 1.5 mm (0.06 in) wide. They spread apart and have a small white tip.
• The petals are blackish-red. They are shaped like a spear or an egg. They are about 2 mm (0.08 in) long and 11 mm (0.43 in) wide. They also have a clear tip.
• The labellum is the dark red lip of the flower. It is egg-shaped, with the narrow end at the base. It is about 2 mm (0.08 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. It has tiny teeth along its sides.
• There is a thick, fleshy part called a callus in the middle of the labellum. It covers about half of the labellum's surface.

This orchid usually flowers between February and May.

How Did it Get Its Name?

The Genoplesium confertum was first officially described in 1991. A botanist named David Jones found a sample of it. He found it near the road to Rainbow Beach. This area is part of the Great Sandy National Park. The description was then published in a science paper called Australian Orchid Research.

Later, in 2002, David Jones and Mark Clements changed its name to Corunastylis conferta. The second part of its scientific name, conferta, comes from a Latin word. It means "crowded." This name was chosen because the flowers of this orchid grow very close together, like a crowd.

Where Does the Crowded Midge Orchid Live?

The crowded midge orchid grows in areas called heathlands. These are places with low-growing plants. It lives on sand dunes that have become stable over time. You can find it in coastal areas of Queensland. Its home stretches between Fraser Island and Runaway Bay. This includes places like the Great Sandy National Park.