Tasmanian midge orchid facts for kids

The Tasmanian midge orchid (scientific name: Genoplesium tasmanicum) is a tiny orchid plant. It grows only in Tasmania, Australia. This special orchid has one thin leaf. It also has up to 25 small flowers. These flowers are dark purplish-black and green. You can find this orchid in many places at lower elevations.

What Does It Look Like?

The Tasmanian midge orchid is a plant that lives on land. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times. This plant is a herb with an underground tuber (like a small potato). It has one thin leaf that is about 80 to 180 mm (3 to 7 inches) long. The tip of the leaf is free for about 15 to 22 mm (0.6 to 0.9 inches).

Flowers and Their Features

The orchid has between 3 and 25 flowers. They grow along a stem that is 10 to 30 mm (0.4 to 1.2 inches) long. The whole plant can reach a height of 100 to 200 mm (4 to 8 inches). The flowers hang downwards and are about 3.5 mm (0.14 inches) wide.

Like other orchids in its group, its flowers are upside down. This means the labellum (a special lip petal) is above the column (the central part of the flower). Normally, it would be below.

• The dorsal sepal (the top part of the flower) is shaped like a spear or an egg. It is 3 to 3.5 mm (0.12 to 0.14 inches) long and about 2 mm (0.08 inches) wide. It is greenish with darker stripes.
• The lateral sepals (the side parts) are thin and spear-shaped. They are 4.5 to 5 mm (0.18 to 0.20 inches) long and 1.5 mm (0.06 inches) wide. They are greenish with a dark purplish base and grow separately.
• The petals are egg-shaped. They are 2.5 to 3 mm (0.10 to 0.12 inches) long and 1.5 mm (0.06 inches) wide. They are dark purplish with a lighter base.
• The labellum is shaped like an egg or oval. It is fleshy and dark purplish-black. It is about 3 mm (0.12 inches) long and 1.5 mm (0.06 inches) wide. It has tiny bumps on its lower surface.
• There is a dark purplish-black callus (a raised area) in the middle of the labellum. This callus almost reaches the tip.

This orchid usually blooms from January to April.

How It Got Its Name

The Tasmanian midge orchid was first officially described in 1991. A botanist named David Jones found a sample near Kingston. He wrote about it in a science book called Australian Orchid Research.

In 2002, David Jones and Mark Clements changed its scientific name. They renamed it Corunastylis tasmanica. The second part of its name, tasmanicum, is a Latin word. It simply means "from Tasmania".

Where Does It Grow?

The Tasmanian midge orchid is found all over Tasmania. It is quite common there. It usually grows among other small plants like herbs, shrubs, or grasses. You can find it at lower elevations, up to about 250 meters (820 feet) above sea level.