Smooth tongue orchid facts for kids

The Dendrobium rigidum, also known as the smooth tongue orchid or smooth tick orchid, is a special type of orchid. It grows naturally in tropical North Queensland in Australia and also in New Guinea.

This orchid is an epiphyte or a lithophyte. This means it can grow on other plants, like trees and shrubs, or on rocks. It has thin, hanging stems and thick, dark green leaves. Its flowers are cream-coloured and shaped like stars. They often have pink or red marks on the back. You can find this orchid in wet areas like paperbark swamps and rainforests.

What Does the Smooth Tongue Orchid Look Like?

The smooth tongue orchid is a plant that grows on other things. It has thin, hanging stems that are about 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long and 3 mm (0.12 in) wide.

Its leaves are shaped like an egg. They feel smooth and thick, and are dark green. Each leaf is about 30–60 mm (1–2 in) long and 15 mm (0.59 in) wide.

The flowers grow on a stem that comes out near a leaf. This flower stem is about 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long. Each plant can have between two and seven cream-coloured flowers.

Flower Details

Each flower is about 9–12 mm (0.35–0.47 in) long and 12–15 mm (0.47–0.59 in) wide. The parts that look like petals are called sepals and petals. They spread out, but their bases overlap.

The sepals are about 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) long. The petals are similar in length but much narrower. The special lip part of the flower, called the labellum, is curved. It is about 10 mm (0.4 in) long and 7 mm (0.3 in) wide. This labellum often has red or orange markings. This orchid can flower at different times throughout the year.

Where Does the Smooth Tongue Orchid Live?

The smooth tongue orchid grows on trees, shrubs, and sometimes on rocks. It likes wet places such as mangrove forests, paperbark swamps, and rainforests.

You can find this orchid in New Guinea and on some of the Torres Strait Islands. In Australia, it grows on the Cape York Peninsula. It can be found as far south as the Russell River in Queensland.

How Was the Smooth Tongue Orchid Named?

The smooth tongue orchid was first officially described in 1810. A botanist named Robert Brown gave it its scientific name, Dendrobium rigidum. He published his description in a book called Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.

The second part of its scientific name, rigidum, is a Latin word. It means "stiff," "hard," or "inflexible."