Granite mignonette orchid facts for kids

The granite mignonette orchid (scientific name: Microtis graniticola) is a special type of orchid that grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It's also sometimes called the granite onion orchid because its single leaf looks a bit like a thin, hollow onion. This small plant loves to grow in soil found in rocky spots on granite outcrops, especially where rain water can collect.

What Does It Look Like?

This orchid is a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. It's also a deciduous herb, meaning it loses its leaves at certain times, and it grows from an underground tuber (like a small potato). It has one tall, smooth, tube-shaped leaf that can be about 20 to 50 centimeters (8 to 20 inches) long and 0.5 to 0.8 centimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide.

The granite mignonette orchid produces many small flowers, usually between twenty and sixty of them. These flowers are green to yellowish-green and grow tightly together on a strong stem that is also about 20 to 50 centimeters (8 to 20 inches) tall. The flowers usually lean downwards. Each flower is about 4.5 to 5 millimeters (0.18 to 0.20 inches) long and 3 to 3.5 millimeters (0.12 to 0.14 inches) wide.

Flower Parts

Like other orchids, its flowers have special parts:

• The dorsal sepal (the top leaf-like part) is egg-shaped and acts like a small hood.
• The lateral sepals (the side leaf-like parts) are oblong and their tips curl downwards.
• The petals are small and hidden inside the dorsal sepal.
• The labellum (the orchid's special lip) is oblong and curves downwards. It has wavy edges and a small notch at its tip.
• A special raised area called a callus is in the middle of the labellum. This callus helps tell this orchid apart from a similar one, Microtis eremicola, because its callus is never shaped like a comma.

These orchids usually bloom from September to November.

How It Got Its Name

The granite mignonette orchid was officially described in 1996 by a botanist named Robert Bates. He found a sample of it near Wave Rock in Hyden.

The scientific name graniticola comes from Latin words. "Granite" refers to the type of rock where it grows, and "cola" means "dweller" or "inhabitant." So, graniticola simply means "granite dweller," which perfectly describes where this orchid likes to live!

Where Does It Live?

The granite mignonette orchid grows in shallow pockets of soil found on large granite rocks. These areas are often quite dry, but the orchid thrives there because the soil pockets can collect water when it rains.

You can find this orchid in many different areas of Western Australia, stretching between Balladonia and Mullewa. This includes parts of several natural regions like the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee, Murchison, and Yalgoo.

Is It Safe?

Good news! The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified the granite mignonette orchid as "not threatened." This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.