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Firth's midge orchid facts for kids

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Firth's midge orchid
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Genus:
Genoplesium
Species:
firthii
Synonyms
  • Prasophyllum firthii Cady
  • Corunastylis firthii (Cady) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.

Firth's midge orchid, also known as Corunastylis firthii in Australia, is a tiny orchid that only grows in Tasmania. It has a single thin leaf attached to its flowering stem. This special orchid usually has up to six small flowers that are yellowish-green or reddish, with a bright red lip-like part called a labellum. You can find it growing in coastal areas with low-growing plants and bushes. Right now, scientists only know of one group of these orchids, with about twelve plants, near Coles Bay.

What Does Firth's Midge Orchid Look Like?

Firth's midge orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It lives for many years and has an underground tuber (like a small potato). It also has a single thin leaf, about 50–80 mm (2–3 in) long. This leaf is joined to the flowering stem for most of its length, with only the top 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) being free.

Flowers and Their Features

Up to six small flowers grow along a flowering stem. This stem is about 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) tall, which is much taller than the leaf. The flowers hang downwards and are tiny, about 4.5 mm (0.2 in) long and 3 mm (0.1 in) wide.

Like other orchids in its genus, the flowers are upside down. This means the labellum (the lip-like part) is above the column (the central part of the flower) instead of below it.

Parts of the Flower

  • The dorsal sepal (the top part of the flower) is about 3 mm (0.1 in) long and 2.5 mm (0.1 in) wide. It has a tiny gland at its tip.
  • The lateral sepals (the side parts) point downwards. They are about 4 mm (0.2 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide and spread apart. They also have a small gland at their tips.
  • The petals (the inner parts of the flower) are about 2 mm (0.08 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. They have a pointed tip and smooth edges.
  • The labellum is red and shaped like an egg, narrower at the base. It's about 2.5 mm (0.1 in) long and 1.5 mm (0.06 in) wide. Its edges are uneven, and it has a pointed tip.
  • There is a raised area called a callus in the middle of the labellum. This callus extends almost to the tip.

These orchids usually bloom from January to March.

How Firth's Midge Orchid Got Its Name

The Firth's midge orchid was first officially described in 1971 by a scientist named Leonard Cady. He found a sample of the orchid near Bicheno and named it Prasophyllum firthii. He published his description in a magazine called The Orchadian.

Later, in 1989, another botanist, David Jones, changed its name to Genoplesium firthii. Then, in 2005, he changed the name again to Corunastylis firthii. This shows how scientists sometimes update names as they learn more about plants.

Where Does Firth's Midge Orchid Live?

Currently, Firth's midge orchid is only known to grow in one small area. You can find it on the side of a road near Coles Bay in Tasmania.

Why Is Firth's Midge Orchid Endangered?

Firth's midge orchid is in serious trouble. Scientists only know of one group of these plants, and it has about twelve orchids in total. It used to grow in another place called Friendly Beaches Reserve, but it hasn't been seen there since 1973.

Because there are so few of these orchids left, it is listed as Endangered under Tasmania's Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. It's also listed as Critically Endangered under the Australian Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act. "Critically Endangered" means it faces an extremely high risk of disappearing forever in the wild.

Threats to the Orchid

Several things threaten the survival of Firth's midge orchid:

  • Road maintenance: Work done on the roadside can accidentally harm the plants.
  • Trampling: People and cars can accidentally step on or drive over the small orchids.
  • Weed invasion: Other plants (weeds) can grow in the same area and take over, pushing out the orchids.
  • Inappropriate fire regimes: Fires that happen too often, not often enough, or at the wrong time can harm the plants or their habitat.

Protecting this tiny orchid is very important to make sure it doesn't disappear.

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