Gnome orchids facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gnome orchids |
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| Adenochilus gracilis near Makarora in New Zealand | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Subtribe: | Caladeniinae |
| Genus: | Adenochilus Hook.f. |
| Type species | |
| Adenochilus gracilis |
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Adenochilus, also known as gnome orchids, is a small group of two types of flowering plants. They belong to the amazing Orchid family. One type of gnome orchid grows only in New Zealand. The other type is found only in Australia.
Both kinds of gnome orchids have a long stem that grows underground. This stem is called a rhizome. Each plant usually has just one leaf on its flowering stem. It also has one special flower that looks like it's upside down. The top part of the flower forms a little hood over its "lip" and central part.
What Gnome Orchids Look Like
Gnome orchids are plants that grow in the ground. They are perennial, meaning they live for more than two years. They are also deciduous, so their leaves fall off at certain times. These plants have a long, thin underground stem called a rhizome.
Each plant usually has one leaf. This leaf can be on a long stem or attached to the flowering stem. When the plant blooms, it has a single flower. This flower often appears to be upside down.
The top part of the flower is called the dorsal sepal. It stands freely and forms a hood. This hood covers the flower's "lip" (called the labellum) and its central part (called the column). The side parts of the flower, called lateral sepals and petals, are separate. They are longer and thinner than the dorsal sepal. These parts spread out wide.
The labellum, or "lip," is also separate. It connects to the base of the column by a short stalk. The labellum is curved. It has a narrow yellow band in the middle. This band is made of small bumps called calli.
How Gnome Orchids Got Their Name
The group of plants called Adenochilus was first officially described in 1853. This was done by a scientist named Joseph Dalton Hooker. He wrote about it in his book, Flora Novae-Zelandiae. In the same book, Hooker also described Adenochilus gracilis. This made A. gracilis the main example, or type species, for the Adenochilus group.
The name Adenochilus comes from two old Greek words. Aden means "gland" and cheilos means "lip." This name refers to the small, gland-like bumps on the lip of these orchids.
Where Gnome Orchids Grow
Adenochilus gracilis is found all over New Zealand. It often grows in thick layers of fallen leaves. You can find it under beech trees. Sometimes, it also grows near wet areas. This orchid lives on both the North Island and the South Island. It is also found on Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands.
Adenochilus nortonii grows in a smaller area in New South Wales, Australia. It lives in places that are about 400 to 1,000 meters (1,300 to 3,300 feet) high. You can find it in the Blue Mountains National Park, Barrington Tops, and Point Lookout areas. This orchid often grows under Antarctic beech trees.
