Yellow ogre orchid facts for kids

The yellow ogre orchid (scientific name: Peristylus banfieldii) is a special kind of orchid. It only grows in one place: Tropical North Queensland in Australia. This means it's endemic there, which is a fancy word for "found nowhere else in the world naturally." This orchid has a few leaves near its bottom and can grow up to fifty pretty, cup-shaped flowers. These flowers are usually cream-colored or yellow and grow on a stem that feels a bit hairy.

What the Yellow Ogre Orchid Looks Like

The yellow ogre orchid is a type of plant that grows from a tuber, which is like a small underground storage part, similar to a potato. It's a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years and doesn't have a woody stem.

• Leaves: It usually has four to six leaves at its base. These leaves have wavy edges and are about 50–125 mm (2–5 in) long and 40–80 mm (2–3 in) wide. The biggest leaves are usually at the top.
• Flowers: The plant produces between fifteen and fifty flowers. They are cream-colored to yellow and shaped like small cups. Each flower is about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and 6 mm (0.24 in) wide.
• Flowering Stem: These flowers grow on a stem that is 300–500 mm (10–20 in) tall and feels a bit hairy.
• Flower Parts:
  • The dorsal sepal (the top part of the flower that looks like a leaf) is about 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. It forms a small hood over the central part of the flower called the column.
  • The lateral sepals (the side parts) are similar in size and spread out wide.
  • The petals are about 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and project forward.
  • The labellum (the special lip-like petal) is 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) wide. Its tip is divided into three sections.
• Flowering Time: You can usually see these orchids flowering from January to March.

How the Yellow Ogre Orchid Got Its Name

The yellow ogre orchid was first officially described in 1906 by a scientist named Frederick Manson Bailey. He found a sample of the plant on Dunk Island, which was collected by Edmund James Banfield. At first, it was given the name Habenaria banfieldii.

Later, in 1981, another scientist named Bill Lavarack changed its name to Peristylus banfieldii. The second part of its scientific name, banfieldii, was chosen to honor Edmund James Banfield, the person who first collected the plant sample. This sample is known as the type specimen, which is the original plant used to describe the species.

Where the Yellow Ogre Orchid Lives

The Peristylus banfieldii orchid likes to grow in damp areas. You can find it in open forests and along the edges of rainforests. It has been found on Dunk Island and in areas near Mareeba and Cardwell in Queensland, Australia.