Fleshy snake orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fleshy snake orchid |
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| Illustration by Lewis Roberts | |
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Serpenticaulis wolfei (B.Gray & D.L.Jones) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones |
The fleshy snake orchid (scientific name: Bulbophyllum wolfei) is a special kind of orchid. It often grows on other plants, like trees (this is called being an epiphyte). Sometimes, it also grows on rocks (this is called being a lithophyte).
This orchid has thin parts that creep along surfaces, called rhizomes. It also has flat, roundish parts called pseudobulbs. Each pseudobulb has one thick, dark green leaf. The orchid produces a single cream-coloured flower with cool dark red stripes. You can mostly find this orchid growing on rainforest trees in tropical North Queensland, Australia.
What the Fleshy Snake Orchid Looks Like
The fleshy snake orchid is a plant that can grow on trees or rocks. It has thin, creeping stems, called rhizomes, that stick closely to whatever it's growing on. It also has oval-shaped pseudobulbs, which are like small, swollen stems. These pseudobulbs are about 4–9 mm (0.16–0.35 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide.
Each pseudobulb has one thick, dark green leaf. This leaf is usually oblong or oval, about 10–25 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide.
The orchid produces a single flower that is cream-coloured with clear, dark red stripes. The flower is about 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long and wide. It grows on a very thin stem that is about 20–30 mm (0.79–1.2 in) long.
The flower has parts called sepals, which are about 6 mm (0.24 in) long and 2 mm (0.079 in) wide. The petals are smaller, about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, and they have a red stripe down the middle. There's also a special lip-like petal called the labellum. It's about 4.5–5 mm (0.18–0.20 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. The labellum is thick and curved, with a groove in the middle.
This orchid usually blooms, or flowers, between April and September.
How the Fleshy Snake Orchid Got Its Name
The Bulbophyllum wolfei orchid was officially described for the first time in 1991. Two botanists, Bruce Gray and David Jones, wrote about it in a scientific publication called Austrobaileya.
The second part of its scientific name, wolfei, was chosen to honor a person named Mr. T.J. (Tom) Wolfe. He was from Atherton, Queensland, and helped a lot with research on orchids.
Where the Fleshy Snake Orchid Lives
The fleshy snake orchid grows in rainforests in Queensland, Australia. You can find it on trees and rocks in areas between the Mount Carbine Tableland and Daintree National Park. It usually grows at high places, from 900 to 1,200 m (3,000 to 3,900 ft) above sea level.
