Velvet orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Velvet orchid |
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| Illustration by Lewis Roberts | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Luisia
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| Species: |
tristis
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The velvet orchid (scientific name: Luisia tristis) is a special type of orchid. It often grows on other plants or rocks, not in the soil. These orchids have thin, wire-like stems that can form messy clumps.
They have round leaves and small green flowers. The most interesting part is the flower's lip, called a labellum. It is usually a dark red or deep maroon color. You can find this orchid in warm, tropical parts of Asia, New Guinea, Australia, and some islands in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Contents
What the Velvet Orchid Looks Like
The velvet orchid is a type of herb. It can grow on other plants (this is called epiphytic) or on rocks (this is called lithophytic). It often forms tangled clumps.
This orchid has thick, flat roots. Its stems are thin and wire-like, growing about 100–400 millimetres (3.9–16 in) long and 1–3 millimetres (0.039–0.12 in) wide.
Each stem has between two and ten stiff, round leaves. These leaves are about 50–200 millimetres (2.0–7.9 in) long and 4–5 millimetres (0.16–0.20 in) wide. They are spaced out along the stem, about 12–35 millimetres (0.47–1.4 in) apart.
The flowers grow on short stems from where the leaves meet the main stem. Each flowering stem can have up to three star-shaped flowers. These flowers are green and about 7–8 millimetres (0.28–0.31 in) long and 9–11 millimetres (0.35–0.43 in) wide.
The sepals (which look like petals) are about 6 millimetres (0.24 in) long. The actual petals are a little longer but thinner. The most striking part is the labellum, or lip, which is dark red to dark maroon. It is about 7 millimetres (0.28 in) long and wide and has three fleshy parts.
The orchid usually blooms between November and April.
How the Velvet Orchid Got its Name
The velvet orchid was first officially described in 1786. A scientist named Georg Forster gave it the name Epidendrum triste. He wrote about it in his book Florulae Insularum Australium Prodromus.
Later, in 1890, another scientist named Joseph Dalton Hooker changed its name to Luisia tristis.
The second part of its scientific name, tristis, comes from a Latin word. It means "sad."
Where the Velvet Orchid Lives
The velvet orchid likes to grow on trees with rough bark. It prefers rainforests where there is plenty of light.
You can find this orchid in many places around the world. These include:
- Southern Taiwan
- The Lesser Sunda Islands
- The Maluku Islands
- The Philippines
- Guam
- New Guinea
- The Solomon Islands
- Fiji
- New Caledonia
- Samoa
- Vanuatu
- Australia
In Australia, it grows in the Northern Territory, including Melville Island. It is also found on some Torres Strait Islands and the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. It grows as far south as the Daintree River.
See also
In Spanish: Luisia tristis para niños
