Oak orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oak orchid |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Dendrobium jonesii in the Osaka Prefectural Flowers Garden | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Dendrobium
|
| Species: |
jonesii
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
The oak orchid (scientific name: Dendrobium jonesii) is a special kind of orchid. It grows on other plants, like trees (this is called epiphytic). It can also grow on rocks (this is called lithophytic). This orchid is found only in Far North Queensland, Australia.
It has thick, spindle-shaped stems called pseudobulbs. It can have up to seven thin, dark green leaves. When it blooms, it produces many star-like, sweet-smelling flowers. These flowers are usually cream-coloured or white. They have cool purple patterns on their special lower petal, called the labellum.
What Does the Oak Orchid Look Like?
The oak orchid is a plant that grows on trees or rocks. Its stems, called pseudobulbs, are dark brownish-green. They can be from 200 to 500 millimeters (about 8 to 20 inches) long. These stems are wider in the middle, about 30 to 40 millimeters (about 1 to 1.5 inches) wide. They get thinner at both ends.
This orchid has two to seven leaves. The leaves are thin, feel like leather, and are dark green. They are usually 60 to 150 millimeters (about 2.5 to 6 inches) long. They are also 40 to 60 millimeters (about 1.5 to 2.5 inches) wide.
The oak orchid produces 10 to 35 flowers on a single stem. This flowering stem can be 200 to 350 millimeters (about 8 to 14 inches) long. The flowers are usually cream-coloured or white. They are about 16 to 20 millimeters (about 0.6 to 0.8 inches) long. Each flower is about 20 to 25 millimeters (about 0.8 to 1 inch) wide.
The sepals and petals of the flower are pointed. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. The sepals are 16 to 22 millimeters (about 0.6 to 0.9 inches) long. The petals are about the same length but a bit narrower.
The labellum, which is the special lower petal, is white with purple marks. It is about 8 millimeters (about 0.3 inches) long and 7 millimeters (about 0.3 inches) wide. It has three parts, called lobes. The two side lobes are curved. The middle lobe is shaped like a rectangle and has an orange line down its center. Oak orchids usually bloom from July to November.
How the Oak Orchid Got Its Name
The oak orchid was first officially described in 1901. A scientist named Alfred Barton Rendle gave it its formal name. He described it from a plant collected by "Mr. Arthur Owen Jones, J.P.". The description was written in a science journal called Journal of Botany, British and Foreign. The second part of its scientific name, jonesii, honors Mr. Jones, who found the first plant used for the description.
There are two types, or varieties, of the oak orchid:
- Dendrobium jonesii var. jonesii
- Dendrobium jonesii var. magnificum (Dockrill) Dockrill – This type is known as the large oak orchid. It has bigger flowers and blooms a bit later in the year.
Where Does the Oak Orchid Live?
The oak orchid grows in rainforests and open forests. You can often find it growing on she-oak trees (Casuarina species). It lives in an area between the Iron Range National Park and Paluma in Queensland, Australia. The magnificum variety, which has larger flowers, grows in higher places in the southern part of where the species is found.
