Mulberry midge orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mulberry midge orchid |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Genoplesium
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| Species: |
morinum
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The mulberry midge orchid (Genoplesium morinum) is a tiny orchid found only in New South Wales, Australia. It's also known as Corunastylis morina. This special orchid gets its name because its dark reddish-purple flowers look a bit like tiny mulberries on a stick!
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What Does the Mulberry Midge Orchid Look Like?
The mulberry midge orchid is a plant that grows from an underground tuber (like a small potato). It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also a deciduous plant, which means it loses its leaves at certain times.
Its Unique Leaf
This orchid has one thin, dark green leaf. It's about 12 to 20 centimetres (5 to 8 inches) long. The bottom part of the leaf is purple. This leaf is special because it's joined to the stem where the flowers grow. A small part of the leaf, about 1 to 2 centimetres (0.4 to 0.8 inches) long, sticks out freely. Sometimes, the leaf stays connected to the tuber until the plant flowers the next year.
The Flowers
The mulberry midge orchid grows between ten and twenty flowers. These flowers are a dark reddish-purple colour. They are packed closely together on a flowering stem. This stem can reach a height of 15 to 24 centimetres (6 to 9 inches).
The flowers themselves are small, about 6 to 7 millimetres (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long. They are also about 5 to 6 millimetres (0.2 inches) wide. What's interesting is that the flowers hang downwards. They are also "inverted," which means their special lip-like petal, called the labellum, is above the central part of the flower (the column) instead of below it.
Parts of the Flower
- Dorsal Sepal: This is the top part of the flower. It's shaped like an egg, about 6 millimetres (0.2 inches) long. It has dark red lines on it.
- Lateral Sepals: These are the two side parts of the flower. They are long and narrow, about 6.5 to 7 millimetres (0.26 to 0.28 inches) long. They point downwards and spread apart.
- Petals: The petals are broadly egg-shaped, about 5.5 millimetres (0.22 inches) long. They have darker lines and uneven edges. These edges are covered with short, purple hairs.
- Labellum: This is the most noticeable part of the flower. It's dark purplish-red and shaped like a line or an oval. It's about 4.5 millimetres (0.18 inches) long. Its edges have purplish hairs up to 1 millimetre (0.04 inches) long. There's also a thick, dark purplish-black, fleshy part called a callus in the middle of the labellum.
This orchid usually flowers from November to January.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The mulberry midge orchid was officially described in 1991 by a botanist named David Jones. He found a sample of it in the Kanangra-Boyd National Park.
Later, in 2002, David Jones and Mark Clements changed its scientific name to Corunastylis morina. The word morinum in its name comes from a Latin word that means "mulberry coloured." This refers to the dark colour of its flowers.
Before it even had an official scientific name, local cattlemen knew this orchid. They called it "mulberries on sticks" because of how its flowers looked!
Where Does This Orchid Live?
The mulberry midge orchid likes to grow in wet, swampy areas. It often grows alongside sedges, which are grass-like plants. You can find it at high altitudes, around 1000 feet (about 300 metres), in the Kanangra-Boyd National Park in New South Wales.
