Crystal bells facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crystal bells |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Didymoplexis
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| Species: |
pallens
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Crystal bells, also known as Didymoplexis pallens, is a special type of orchid. These plants are called crystal bells because their flowers look like tiny bells. They are also known as shuang chun lan in Chinese.
Unlike many plants, crystal bells do not have leaves. They are terrestrial, meaning they grow on the ground. They get their food from fungi in the soil. This makes them a mycotrophic plant.
Crystal bells have small flowers that can be white, pink, or brownish. They grow on a yellow stem. Only one or two flowers open at a time. Each flower stays open for a short time. You can find crystal bells in many parts of Asia, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia, and some Pacific Islands.
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What Do Crystal Bells Look Like?
Crystal bells are leafless herbs. This means they are plants without woody stems above ground. They have a fleshy underground stem called a rhizome. Their yellow flowering stem can grow from 60 to 250 millimeters (about 2.4 to 9.8 inches) tall.
The Flowers of Crystal Bells
Each plant can have between five and fifteen flowers. The flowers are usually white, pink, or brownish. They are small, about 6 to 8 millimeters (0.24 to 0.31 inches) long. They are also about 8 to 10 millimeters (0.31 to 0.39 inches) wide.
The flowers are bell-shaped. Their sepals and petals are similar in size. They are joined together for about half their length. The labellum is a special part of the orchid flower. It is wedge-shaped and about 6 to 7 millimeters (0.24 to 0.28 inches) long. It is also about 9 to 10 millimeters (0.35 to 0.39 inches) wide. The sides of the labellum curve upwards.
There are small bumps called calli on the labellum. These are arranged in two or three rows. Crystal bells appear when the wet season begins. In Australia, they flower from November to March. In China, they flower from April to May.
How Crystal Bells Got Their Name
The plant Didymoplexis pallens was first described in 1844. A botanist named William Griffith found a sample. He found it in a bamboo forest near Calcutta, India. He published his description in a science journal.
Where Do Crystal Bells Grow?
Crystal bells grow in different types of forests. You can find them in rainforests, grassy forests, and bamboo forests. They are found in many countries. These include China, Taiwan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, New Guinea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
They also grow in Australia. This includes Christmas Island and islands in the southwest Pacific. In Australia, they are found in the Cape York Peninsula. They also grow in the northern Northern Territory. You can also find them in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Protecting Crystal Bells
In Western Australia, Didymoplexis pallens is a "Priority One" plant. This means it is known from only a few places. These places might be at risk. The Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife helps protect these special plants. It is important to protect them so they can continue to grow.
