Scented mignonette orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scented mignonette orchid |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Microtis (plant)
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| Species: |
alboviridis
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The scented mignonette orchid (Microtis alboviridis) is a special type of orchid that only grows in the south-west part of Western Australia. It's also sometimes called the ghost mignonette orchid. This unique plant has a single leaf that looks like a hollow onion, and it produces many small, greenish-white flowers that smell sweet. It's quite similar to another orchid, the white mignonette orchid (M. alba), but its flowers are smaller. A cool fact about this orchid is that it blooms a lot even if there hasn't been a bushfire recently.
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About the Scented Mignonette Orchid
The scented mignonette orchid is a plant that grows in the ground (it's a terrestrial plant). It's a perennial, meaning it lives for many years, and it's deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times. It's a type of herb with a special underground stem called a tuber, which helps it store food.
It has one tall, smooth leaf that looks like a hollow tube. This leaf can be about 120–200 mm (5–8 in) long and 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide.
From eight to over forty small, greenish-white flowers grow along a single stem. This stem can be 100–300 mm (4–10 in) tall. Each flower is small, about 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide. Just like its name suggests, these flowers smell sweet!
The flowers look a bit like those of the white mignonette orchid. However, the scented mignonette orchid's flowers are smaller. They also have a small, upturned tip on their 'lip' (which is called a labellum), and this lip has smaller parts called lobes. This orchid blooms from November to December. Unlike some other plants, its flowering is not triggered by a fire happening the summer before.
How It Got Its Name
The scented mignonette orchid was officially described in 2008 by a scientist named Robert John Bates. His description was published in a magazine called The Orchadian.
The second part of its scientific name, alboviridis, comes from two Latin words:
- albus means "white"
- viridis means "green"
This name perfectly describes the greenish-white color of its flowers!
Where It Lives
You can find the scented mignonette orchid in many different places. It grows in areas that are sometimes wet, like flats, and also in forests. It lives between a place called Mount Lesueur and Israelite Bay in Western Australia. Sometimes, you can even see thousands of these orchids growing together in one spot!
Looking After This Orchid
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the scented mignonette orchid. They have decided that it is "not threatened." This means there are enough of these orchids around, and they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
