Sweet mignonette orchid facts for kids

The sweet mignonette orchid (also called the sweet onion orchid) is a special type of orchid. Its scientific name is Microtis brownii. This orchid grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It has one hollow leaf that looks a bit like an onion. Its flowering stem can have up to sixty small, green and white flowers that smell nice. You can often find these orchids in wet, swampy areas. They grow even better after summer fires and can sometimes form huge groups.

What the Sweet Mignonette Orchid Looks Like

The sweet mignonette orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, which means its leaves fall off at certain times. This orchid has a special underground part called a tuber, which stores food.

From the tuber, a single, smooth, tube-shaped leaf grows straight up. This leaf can be from 150 mm (5.9 in) to 500 mm (20 in) long and 2 mm (0.079 in) to 6 mm (0.24 in) wide.

Flowers and Their Parts

The orchid's flowers grow on a tall stem, which can be 300 mm (12 in) to 600 mm (24 in) high. There can be anywhere from five to fifty flowers on one stem. These flowers are green to yellowish-green and white, and they have a pleasant smell. Each flower is about 4 mm (0.16 in) long and 3 mm (0.12 in) wide.

Let's look at the parts of the flower:

• The dorsal sepal is like a hood over the center of the flower. It is about 4 mm (0.16 in) long and 3 mm (0.12 in) wide.
• The lateral sepals are on the sides and are about 3 mm (0.12 in) long. Their tips curl under.
• The petals are about 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long and are found under or next to the dorsal sepal.
• The labellum is a special lip-like petal. It is about 4 mm (0.16 in) long and 2 mm (0.079 in) wide. It has crinkled edges and bends down towards the ovary (the part that develops into a fruit).

When it Flowers

These orchids usually flower from November to January. However, they produce many more flowers if there was a bushfire in the area the summer before.

How it Got its Name

The scientific name Microtis brownii was first officially described in 1871. This was done by a scientist named Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach. He published his description in a book called Beitrage zur Systematischen Pflanzenkunde.

The second part of the name, brownii, was chosen to honor a Scottish botanist (a plant scientist) named Robert Brown.

Where the Sweet Mignonette Orchid Lives

The sweet mignonette orchid mostly grows in wet, swampy areas. But you can also find it in woodlands, forests, or on granite rocks further inland.

Sometimes, these orchids form very large groups with thousands of plants. They are quite common and can be found across a wide area, especially between the cities of Perth and Esperance in Western Australia.

How it is Protected

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the sweet mignonette orchid. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means the plant is not currently in danger of disappearing.