Christmas Island crimp orchid facts for kids

The Christmas Island crimp orchid (Dendrobium nativitatis) is a special type of orchid. It is an epiphytic plant, which means it grows on other plants, like trees, but does not harm them. This orchid is endemic to Christmas Island. Christmas Island is an Australian territory located in the north-eastern Indian Ocean. This unique orchid has long, trailing stems. It also has flattened parts that store water, a single tough leaf, and a pale yellow flower.

What Does the Christmas Island Crimp Orchid Look Like?

The Christmas Island crimp orchid is a herb that grows on trees. Its stems can be quite long, from 150 to 400 mm (6 to 16 in). Sometimes, these stems even branch out. The plant has smooth, flat, pale green pseudobulbs. These are like thickened stems that store water. They are about 25 to 40 mm (1 to 1.6 in) long and 7 to 10 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) wide.

Each pseudobulb has one leathery leaf at its end. This leaf is narrow and oval-shaped. It measures about 50 to 120 mm (2 to 4.7 in) long and 10 to 20 mm (0.4 to 0.8 in) wide. A single, pale yellow flower grows from the base of this leaf. The flower is small, about 8 to 12 mm (0.3 to 0.5 in) long and 12 to 15 mm (0.5 to 0.6 in) wide.

The flower has sepals that are shaped like spearheads. They are 8 to 10 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) long. The petals are a bit shorter, about 7 to 8 mm (0.3 in) long. The most interesting part is the labellum, or "lip," of the flower. It is 12 to 14 mm (0.5 to 0.6 in) long and has three parts, called lobes. The side lobes wrap around the central part of the flower, called the column. The middle lobe has wavy edges and two wavy lines down its center. This orchid can flower at different times throughout the year. After flowering, it produces an oval-shaped seed pod, which is about 15 mm (0.6 in) long.

How Did It Get Its Name?

The Christmas Island crimp orchid's scientific name is Dendrobium nativitatis. It was first officially described in 1907 by a scientist named Henry Nicholas Ridley. He published his description in a scientific journal.

Interestingly, Ridley had actually described this orchid a year earlier, in 1906. At that time, he named it Dendrobium pectinatum. However, he later found out that this name had already been used for a different type of orchid. So, he had to give it a new, unique name.

The second part of its scientific name, the specific epithet nativitatis, comes from the Latin word natus. This word means "birth." It refers to the "nativity" of Christ, or Christmas. This name was chosen because the first plant sample used for the description was found on Christmas Island. This place is called the type locality.

Where Does It Live?

The Christmas Island crimp orchid is very common in the rainforests of Christmas Island. It grows on the high, flat areas of the island, known as plateaus and marine terraces. It prefers to grow on certain types of trees. These include Planchonella and Eugenia species, which act as its host trees. This orchid is only found on Christmas Island and nowhere else in the world.

Family Connections

This Christmas Island orchid is closely related to another orchid species. It is similar to Dendrobium aureilobum, which is found in Java and Sumatra.