Northern mosquito orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern mosquito orchid |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acianthus
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| Species: |
borealis
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The Northern mosquito orchid (scientific name: Acianthus borealis) is a special kind of flowering plant that belongs to the orchid family. It grows only in Queensland, Australia. This plant is a ground-dwelling herb with a single, heart-shaped leaf. It produces between two and twenty see-through pinkish flowers that have reddish marks. You can find it in many places on the eastern tablelands of Queensland.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The Northern mosquito orchid is a ground-dwelling plant that lives for many years (it's a perennial). It has a single, heart-shaped leaf that is dark green on top and reddish-purple underneath. The edges of the leaf are often a bit wavy. This leaf is usually about 15 to 50 millimeters (0.6 to 2 inches) long and 15 to 35 millimeters (0.6 to 1.4 inches) wide.
This orchid grows in groups, forming spreading colonies. Each plant has two fleshy tubers, which are like small underground storage parts.
The Flowers
The plant produces between two and twenty flowers. These flowers grow close together on a thin stem called a raceme, which can be up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) tall. Each flower is about 8.5 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long.
The top part of the flower, called the sepal (which looks like a petal), is egg-shaped and forms a hood over the flower's lip. It has three clear red lines. The side sepals point forward below the lip. The petals are small and pointed.
The most interesting part is the labellum, or lip, which is reddish with a purplish, jagged edge. It's about 5 to 6 millimeters (0.2 inches) long. There's a green, bumpy area on the labellum called the callus. The column (the central part of the flower) is about 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) long.
This orchid usually flowers between March and May. After flowering, it forms an oval-shaped seed pod (called a capsule) that is about 11 to 13 millimeters (0.4 to 0.5 inches) long.
How It Got Its Name
The Northern mosquito orchid, Acianthus borealis, was officially described by a botanist named David Jones in 1991. He found the first examples of this plant near Herberton in Queensland.
The second part of its scientific name, borealis, comes from a Latin word meaning "northern." This name was chosen because this orchid grows further north than other similar orchids in Australia.
Where Does It Live?
This orchid likes to grow on sheltered hillsides and slopes in forests and woodlands. It prefers sandy soil, often near large rocks. You can find it at heights between 400 and 800 meters (1,300 to 2,600 feet) above sea level. It often forms thick groups of plants in these areas.
The Northern mosquito orchid is found on tablelands (flat areas of high land) in Queensland. Its range stretches from the Windsor Tableland in the north-east to the Blackdown Tableland in the central east.
Life Cycle and How It Grows
The leaf of the Northern mosquito orchid usually appears towards the end of the wet season. The small, purplish flowers look a bit like mosquitoes and are pollinated by insects. These flowers only last for about four days to a week.
When the weather gets warm again, the parts of the plant above ground die back. The plant then rests underground until the next wet season.
Keeping It Safe
The Northern mosquito orchid is quite common in many places and grows in large numbers in certain areas. Many of its populations are found within national parks, which helps to protect them.
