Bare midge orchid facts for kids

The Genoplesium nudiscapum, also known as the bare midge orchid, is a tiny orchid that grows only in Tasmania. It has a single thin leaf that is attached to its flowering stem. This special orchid produces small, green and reddish-brown flowers.

For many years, people thought this orchid was gone forever, as it hadn't been seen since 1852. But in 2008, it was excitingly found again! While some experts in Australia use a different name for it, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families still calls it Genoplesium nudiscapum.

What Does the Bare Midge Orchid Look Like?

The bare midge orchid is a plant that grows from an underground tuber, which is like a small storage root. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves might fall off at certain times.

Each plant has one thin leaf, about 60-80 mm (2.4-3.1 inches) long. This leaf is joined to the flowering stem, with a small free part up to 10 mm (0.4 inches) long.

The orchid produces between three and twenty green and reddish-brown flowers. These tiny flowers are packed closely together on a green spike, which is 8-15 mm (0.3-0.6 inches) long. The whole plant can grow to be 40-120 mm (1.6-4.7 inches) tall.

The flowers themselves are smooth and lean forward. They are about 5 mm (0.2 inches) long and 3.5 mm (0.1 inches) wide. Like other orchids in its group, the flowers are upside down! This means the special lip-like part, called the labellum, is above the central part (the column) instead of below it.

The top petal, called the dorsal sepal, is about 2.5 mm (0.1 inches) long and 1.5 mm (0.06 inches) wide, with a pointy tip. The two side petals, called lateral sepals, are shaped like small spears. They are about 4.5 mm (0.18 inches) long and 1 mm (0.04 inches) wide, and they point downwards.

The other two petals are egg-shaped, 2.5 mm (0.1 inches) long and about 1 mm (0.04 inches) wide. They have a tiny white gland at their tip. The labellum is a narrow, oblong shape, about 2 mm (0.08 inches) long and 1 mm (0.04 inches) wide. It has a raised area called a callus in its middle.

These orchids usually bloom from February to mid-April.

How the Bare Midge Orchid Got Its Name

The bare midge orchid was first officially described in 1853 by a scientist named Joseph Dalton Hooker. He gave it the name Prasophyllum nudiscapum. This description was published in a book about the plants found during a journey to the Antarctic.

Later, in 1989, two other scientists, David Jones and Mark Clements, changed its name to Genoplesium nudiscapum. At that time, they thought this orchid grew in New South Wales and Victoria, but that it had disappeared from Tasmania since 1852.

In 2002, Jones and Clements changed the name again to Corunastylis nudiscapa. However, in 2008, something exciting happened! The Tasmanian orchid was found again in the foothills of Mount Wellington.

Because of this rediscovery, experts in Australia now believe that Corunastylis nudiscapa is a unique plant found only in Tasmania. The orchids that were previously thought to be C. nudiscapa or Genoplesium nudiscapum on the Australian mainland are now known to be different species, like Corunastylis leptochila or C. densa.

Where Does the Bare Midge Orchid Live?

The bare midge orchid grows in specific types of forests and woodlands. It prefers areas with heath plants and forests where Eucalyptus tenuiramis or Eucalyptus obliqua trees are common. You can find this special orchid in only two known places near Hobart in Tasmania.

Protecting the Bare Midge Orchid

There are only about 250 bare midge orchid plants left in the world. Because there are so few, this species is listed as "Endangered" under Tasmania's Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. This means it's at high risk of disappearing forever.

The main dangers to the bare midge orchid include:

• Land clearing: When land is cleared for buildings or farms, its habitat is destroyed.
• Weed invasion: Weeds can grow quickly and take over the areas where the orchids live, pushing them out.
• Inappropriate fire regimes: Too many fires, or fires at the wrong time, can harm the orchids and their environment.

Efforts are being made to protect this rare and unique Tasmanian orchid.