Green midget orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Green midget orchid |
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The green midget orchid (scientific name: Drymoanthus minutus) is a tiny and interesting type of orchid. It often grows on trees or rocks, forming small groups with many thick roots. This special plant has a thin stem with a few dark green, leathery leaves. It also produces small, star-shaped flowers that are green or yellowish. You can find this orchid in the rainforests of northern Queensland, Australia, usually high up in the mountains.
What Does the Green Midget Orchid Look Like?
The green midget orchid is a small plant that grows in clumps. It can be an epiphyte (meaning it grows on other plants, like trees) or a lithophyte (meaning it grows on rocks). Its stems stand upright and are about 2 to 4 centimeters (about 1 to 1.5 inches) long, with many thick roots.
This orchid usually has two to five dark green, leathery leaves. These leaves are shaped like oblongs or ellipses and are about 3 to 5 centimeters (about 1 to 2 inches) long and 6 to 10 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide. They grow close together, with their bases overlapping.
The green midget orchid produces up to seven tiny, star-shaped flowers. These flowers are green to yellowish and are about 2.5 millimeters (about 0.1 inches) long and wide. They grow along a stiff flowering stem that is about 1 to 2.5 centimeters (about 0.4 to 1 inch) long.
The flower parts, called sepals and petals, are fleshy and look similar to each other. They are narrow and spear-shaped, about 2.5 millimeters long and 1 millimeter wide. The petals are a little shorter and narrower than the sepals. The flower also has a special part called a labellum, which is white, fleshy, and shaped like a channel. It's about 2 millimeters long and 1 millimeter wide. This orchid usually blooms from December to February.
How Did the Green Midget Orchid Get Its Name?
The green midget orchid was first officially described in 1943 by a botanist named William Henry Nicholls. He published his description in a scientific journal called The Victorian Naturalist.
The scientific name of the orchid is Drymoanthus minutus. The second part of the name, minutus, is a Latin word. It means "little" or "small," which perfectly describes this tiny plant!
Where Does the Green Midget Orchid Live?
You can find the green midget orchid growing on trees and rocks in rainforests. It often prefers to grow near streams and sometimes even on the small branches of bottlebrush shrubs.
This orchid is found in the region between Cairns and Townsville in northern Queensland, Australia. It usually grows at higher places, typically at altitudes between 100 and 850 meters (about 330 to 2,800 feet) above sea level.
