Fly-carrying restrepia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fly-carrying restrepia |
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Restrepia
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| Species: |
muscifera
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Restrepia muscifera, also known as the fly-carrying restrepia, is a special kind of orchid. Its name, "muscifera," comes from Latin and means "fly bearing." This is because its unique flowers look a bit like flies!
Contents
About the Fly-Carrying Orchid
This tiny orchid grows in groups. It is an epiphyte, which means it grows on other plants like trees. However, it does not harm the plant it grows on. It gets its water and nutrients from the air and rain.
Where It Lives
You can find the fly-carrying restrepia in warm, wet places. It grows from southern Mexico all the way to Colombia. You can also find a few scattered spots in Peru. These orchids live in tropical and montane rainforests. They grow at different heights, from about 300 meters (about 980 feet) to 2,300 meters (about 7,500 feet) above sea level.
How It Looks
This orchid does not have pseudobulbs, which are common storage organs in many orchids. Instead, it has a single, upright leaf. This leaf is thick and feels leathery. It has an oval shape, like an egg. The roots that grow in the air look like fine hairs.
Its Unique Flowers
The flowers of the fly-carrying restrepia are quite interesting. They grow one at a time from the base of the leaf. Each flower can be about 2.3 centimeters (about 0.9 inches) long. They grow on a thin stem called a peduncle. This stem comes from the back of the leaf's base.
Flower Parts
The top part of the flower is called the dorsal sepal. It stands up straight and is almost clear white. It has small dark red dots. The tip of this sepal is a bit thicker and yellow, with tiny magenta dots.
The two side sepals are joined together. They are about 2.5 centimeters (about 1 inch) long. They have a small split at their end. These sepals are very colorful. They are mostly clear white but have reddish-purple dots in an oval pattern.
The long side petals also have a thick, yellow, club-shaped tip. The shorter, smooth lip of the flower is oval-shaped. It has the same dark red and magenta dots as the rest of the flower.
See also
In Spanish: Restrepia muscifera para niños
