Marbled jewel orchids facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marbled jewel orchids |
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| Anoectochilus setaceus 1844 iIllustration |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Cranichideae |
| Subtribe: | Goodyerinae |
| Genus: | Anoectochilus Blume |
| Type species | |
| Anoectochilus setaceus Blume
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| Species | |
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See text |
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Anoectochilus, often called marbled jewel orchids or filigree orchids, is a group of about fifty different kinds of orchids. These special plants belong to the large family of orchids. They grow on the ground and have a stem that creeps along, called a rhizome. They also have an upright stem that holds their flowers. A cool thing about these orchids is their dark leaves, which have bright, contrasting lines that look like marble! Their flowers are quite large and have a special "lip" part, called a labellum, which looks very different from the other petals.
What Marbled Jewel Orchids Look Like
Orchids in the Anoectochilus group are plants that grow on the ground. They are perennial, meaning they live for more than two years. They also lose their leaves at certain times of the year. These plants have a creeping stem, called a rhizome, which grows above the ground. This stem has roots that look a bit woolly.
Their leaves grow in a circle, like a rosette, and are wide and thin. They can be dark green or brownish-purple. What makes them special is the network of shiny, contrasting lines on them, which can be silvery or reddish.
The flowers are quite big and feel a bit hairy or velvety. They grow in a short cluster called a spike. The top part of the flower (the sepals and petals) forms a hood over the center. The side sepals spread out. The "lip" part of the flower, the labellum, is quite large and has two main sections. The lower section has a tube-shaped part with two big glands inside. This lower part connects to the upper part with a narrow piece that has spreading teeth or a long fringe. After the flower, the plant produces a hairy seed pod, called a capsule, which holds many tiny, winged seeds.
Naming and History
The group of plants called Anoectochilus was first officially described in 1825 by a scientist named Carl Ludwig Blume. The first type of orchid he described in this group was Anoectochilus setaceus. This is why Anoectochilus setaceus is known as the type species for the whole group.
The name Anoectochilus comes from two Ancient Greek words. Anoiktos (ἀνοικτός) means "opened," and cheilos (χεῖλος) means "lip." So, the name basically means "opened lip," which describes the unique shape of their flowers.
Where Marbled Jewel Orchids Grow
These beautiful orchids can be found in many places, from the Himalayas mountains to southern China and Southeast Asia. They also grow in Australia, New Guinea, Melanesia, and Hawaii. They like to live in damp areas where there is a lot of shade.
