McIlwraith hermit orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McIlwraith hermit orchid |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Illustration by Lewis Roberts | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Dendrobium
|
| Species: |
malbrownii
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Monanthos malbrownii (Dockrill) Rauschert |
|
The Dendrobium malbrownii, often called the McIlwraith hermit orchid, is a special type of orchid found only in tropical North Queensland, Australia. This plant is an epiphyte or a lithophyte. This means it grows on other plants or rocks instead of in the soil.
It has thin, crowded stems with dark green leaves. Each stem produces a single, shiny, cream-colored flower. The flower has a striking purple labellum, which is like a special lip. You can find this orchid growing on trees, fallen logs, and rocks in the rainforests of the McIlwraith Range.
Contents
What Does the McIlwraith Hermit Orchid Look Like?
The McIlwraith hermit orchid is a herb with many crowded, thin stems. These stems can grow to be about 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches) long. They are only about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) wide.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves are long and narrow, about 3 to 6 centimeters (1 to 2 inches) long. They are arranged in two neat rows along the stems. Each stem produces one cream-colored flower. The flowers are small, about 6 to 7 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and 7 to 8 millimeters (0.3 inches) wide.
The flower has different parts called sepals and petals. The top sepal is about 3.5 millimeters long. The side sepals are similar in length but twice as wide. The petals are also similar in length but much narrower. The most noticeable part is the labellum, which is purple and yellow. It is about 4 millimeters long and 2.5 millimeters wide. It has small, rounded side parts and a middle part with two faint ridges. This orchid usually blooms between December and April.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The McIlwraith hermit orchid was first officially described in 1967. This was done by a scientist named Alick Dockrill. He wrote about it in a publication called Australian Plants.
The second part of its scientific name, malbrownii, honors Malcolm Brown. He was the person who first collected the specific plant specimen that was used to describe this new species. This first collected plant is called the type specimen.
Where Does This Orchid Live?
The McIlwraith hermit orchid lives in the rainforests of the McIlwraith Range. This area is in tropical North Queensland, Australia. It prefers to grow on small rocks, fallen logs, and the trunks of trees.
