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Northern wasp orchid
Scientific classification

The Chiloglottis longiclavata, commonly known as the northern wasp orchid, is a special type of orchid. It is found only in Queensland, Australia. This orchid gets its name because its flower looks a bit like a female wasp. This helps it attract male wasps for pollination. The plant usually has two leaves and a single, unique flower. This flower is pinkish-green with a dark, blackish-red bumpy area on its labellum (a special lip petal). This bumpy area looks like an insect.

What the Northern Wasp Orchid Looks Like

The northern wasp orchid is a plant that grows in the ground. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times of the year. This plant is a herb, which means it has soft stems, not woody ones.

Leaves and Stems

This orchid has two oval-shaped leaves. They are about 2.5 to 6 centimeters (1 to 2.4 inches) long. They are also about 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) wide. These leaves grow on a small stalk called a petiole. This stalk is about 3 to 5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) long. A single flower grows on a stem that is about 7 to 10 centimeters (2.8 to 3.9 inches) tall.

Flower Details

The flower itself is pinkish-green. It measures about 2 to 2.5 centimeters (0.8 to 1 inch) long. It is also about 0.5 to 0.6 centimeters (0.2 inches) wide.

  • Sepals: The flower has three main parts called sepals. The top sepal, called the dorsal sepal, is narrow and egg-shaped. It is about 1.5 to 1.8 centimeters (0.6 to 0.7 inches) long. The two side sepals, called lateral sepals, are thin and pointed. They are about 1.2 to 1.5 centimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long. These side sepals stand up at first, then curve downwards. All sepals have a special tip that looks like a small gland.
  • Petals: The flower also has two petals. They are shaped like a spear or oblong. They are about 0.7 to 0.8 centimeters (0.3 inches) long. These petals usually turn downwards towards the ovary (the part that holds the seeds).
  • Labellum: The most unique part is the labellum, or lip petal. It is broadly egg-shaped or diamond-shaped. It is about 0.7 to 0.8 centimeters (0.3 inches) long and 0.4 to 0.5 centimeters (0.2 inches) wide. Most of the top surface of the labellum is covered in a dark, blackish-red bumpy area. This area is called a callus. It is made of many small glands that look like an insect.
  • Column: The central part of the flower is called the column. It is pale green with purple spots. It is about 0.6 centimeters (0.2 inches) long. This column has narrow "wings" on its sides.

The northern wasp orchid usually blooms from February to May.

How the Northern Wasp Orchid Got Its Name

The Chiloglottis longiclavata was first officially described in 1991. A botanist named David Jones gave it its scientific name. He found a sample of the orchid in the Herberton Range. The description was then published in a science journal called Australian Orchid Research.

The second part of its scientific name, longiclavata, comes from two Latin words. Longus means "long," and clavus means "club" or "cudgel." This name refers to the long, club-like tips found on the sepals of this orchid.

Where the Northern Wasp Orchid Lives

The northern wasp orchid grows in small groups. You can find it in tall forests and near the edges of rainforests. It grows in areas between the Atherton Tableland and Eungella National Park in Queensland. On the very top of Mount Bartle Frere, it grows in a type of short, bushy plant community called "stunted heath."

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