Pink kunai orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pink kunai orchid |
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| Pachystoma pubescens in the Namdapha Tiger Reserve | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pachystoma
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| Species: |
pubescens
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| Synonyms | |
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Pachychilus pubescens (Blume) Blume |
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The pink kunai orchid (also known as Pachystoma pubescens) is a beautiful plant from the orchid family. People also call it 粉口兰 (fen kou lan) in some places. This orchid grows naturally in many parts of Asia, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and northern Australia.
It is a special type of plant that loses its leaves every year, like some trees. It grows on the ground, not on other plants or trees. It has one or two leaves that look like grass. When it blooms, it can have up to ten flowers. These flowers are usually a dull pink color and hang downwards. You can often find pink kunai orchids in wet, grassy areas within forests and woodlands.
What the Pink Kunai Orchid Looks Like
The pink kunai orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It has one or two dark green leaves. These leaves are long and narrow, like blades of grass. They are also pleated, which means they have folds like a fan. Each leaf can be about 30 to 45 centimeters (12 to 18 inches) long. They are also about 0.8 to 1 centimeter (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide.
This orchid grows a tall stem that can reach 30 to 60 centimeters (12 to 24 inches) high. On this stem, you will find between four and ten flowers. The flowers are a dull pink color and often hang downwards. Each flower is about 1 to 1.2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.5 inches) long. They are also about 0.4 to 0.5 centimeters (0.16 to 0.2 inches) wide.
The flower has different parts. The top part, called the dorsal sepal, is about 1 to 1.2 centimeters long. The side sepals are similar in length but a bit wider at their base. The petals are about the same length as the sepals but are thinner. The special lower petal, called the labellum, is about 1 to 1.2 centimeters long and 0.6 to 0.8 centimeters wide. It has three parts, or lobes. The middle lobe has a square tip and feels bumpy. The side lobes curve upwards.
Pink kunai orchids usually bloom at different times depending on where they are. In Australia, you can see their flowers in November and December. In Asia, they bloom from March to September.
Where the Pink Kunai Orchid Lives
The pink kunai orchid likes to grow in places that get wet during certain times of the year. You can often find it in woodlands and forest areas. It especially likes to grow near grasses, such as kunai grass. This is how it got its common name.
This orchid is found in many countries across Asia and Australia. It grows in China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam. In Australia, it lives in the northern parts of the Northern Territory. It also grows in Tropical North Queensland.
