Dwarf gnat orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dwarf gnat orchid |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cyrtostylis
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| Species: |
tenuissima
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The dwarf gnat orchid, also called the dwarf mosquito orchid, is a special type of orchid. Its scientific name is Cyrtostylis tenuissima. This plant is found only in Western Australia, meaning it is endemic there.
This small orchid usually has one round leaf. It also grows a flower spike with up to fourteen tiny, green flowers. Each flower has a greenish-brown or pinkish, wedge-shaped part called a labellum.
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What the Dwarf Gnat Orchid Looks Like
The dwarf gnat orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It is a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times. This plant is a herb, meaning it has soft stems, not woody ones.
It has a single leaf that is mostly round. This leaf is about 10 to 30 millimeters (0.4 to 1.2 inches) long and 10 to 20 millimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) wide. Both sides of the leaf are green.
The plant grows a flowering stem that can be 50 to 200 millimeters (2 to 7.9 inches) tall. On this stem, you can find between two and fifteen green flowers. Each flower is about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) long and 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide.
The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, stands upright and curves forward. It is about 6 to 7 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long. The side sepals are similar in size and usually point downwards, sometimes crossing over each other. The petals are about 7 to 8 millimeters (0.3 inches) long and spread out.
The labellum is a special lip-like part of the flower. It is shaped like a wedge with a pointed tip. This part is about 4 to 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) long and 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide, and it slopes downwards. You can see these orchids flowering from September to November.
Naming the Dwarf Gnat Orchid
The dwarf gnat orchid was first officially described in 1933. Two scientists, William Henry Nicholls and Bede Theodoric Goadby, gave it its first name: Acianthus tenuissimus. They wrote about it in a science magazine called The Victorian Naturalist. They studied a plant they found near Bayswater.
Later, in 1987, two other botanists, David Jones and Mark Clements, changed its name to Cyrtostylis tenuissima.
The second part of its scientific name, tenuissima, comes from a Latin word. Tenuis means "thin," so tenuissima means "thinnest." This name likely refers to some delicate feature of the orchid.
Where the Dwarf Gnat Orchid Lives
The dwarf gnat orchid likes to grow in areas that are wet during winter. You can find it under shrubs and near grasstrees. It grows in a wide area of Western Australia, from Perth all the way down to Albany. There are also some separate groups of these orchids, called disjunct populations, found near Esperance.
Protecting the Dwarf Gnat Orchid
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of plants and animals. They have listed Cyrtostylis tenuissima as "not threatened." This means that, for now, there are enough of these orchids, and they are not in danger of disappearing.
