Piggyback orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Piggyback orchid |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Dendrobium
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| Species: |
convexum
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The Dendrobium convexum, often called the piggyback orchid, is a unique type of orchid. It's an epiphyte, which means it grows on other plants, usually trees, instead of in the soil. It gets its nickname "piggyback" because it seems to ride on its host plant! This orchid has roots that creep along tree bark. It grows special stems called pseudobulbs, each with a single leaf on top. The piggyback orchid produces one or two cream-colored flowers that don't last very long. These flowers have a colorful part called a labellum that is red and yellow. You can find this orchid growing naturally in warm, tropical places like Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and tropical North Queensland in Australia.
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What the Piggyback Orchid Looks Like
The piggyback orchid is a plant that lives on trees. It has a root that is about 3 mm (0.1 in) thick. This root creeps over the rough bark of trees.
Shiny, oval-shaped stems called pseudobulbs grow from the root. Each pseudobulb is about 40-50 mm (1.6-2.0 in) long and 8-10 mm (0.3-0.4 in) wide. They grow at different spots along the root, each on a thin stalk about 10 mm (0.4 in) long.
At the end of each pseudobulb, there is a single dark green leaf. This leaf is usually 50-80 mm (2.0-3.1 in) long and 15-18 mm (0.6-0.7 in) wide.
The Piggyback Orchid's Flowers
One or two cream-colored flowers appear at the base of the leaf. Each flower is about 12-15 mm (0.5-0.6 in) wide and grows on a small stalk called a pedicel, which is about 5 mm (0.2 in) long.
The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, is 5-7 mm (0.2-0.3 in) long and about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide. The side sepals are 3-4 mm (0.1-0.2 in) long. The petals are thin and straight, about 5-6 mm (0.2 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide.
The most colorful part of the flower is the labellum. It is yellow with a red center, about 11 mm (0.4 in) long and 4 mm (0.2 in) wide. It has three parts, or lobes. These flowers bloom at different times throughout the year, but they only stay open for less than a day!
How the Piggyback Orchid Got Its Name
The piggyback orchid was first officially described in 1825 by a scientist named Carl Ludwig Blume. He gave it the scientific name Desmotrichum convexum. He wrote about it in his book called Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië.
Later, in 1831, another scientist named John Lindley changed its name to Dendrobium convexum. The second part of its scientific name, convexum, is a Latin word. It means "arched outward" or "sticking out."
Where the Piggyback Orchid Lives
The Dendrobium convexum orchid grows in several different types of places. You can find it in mangrove swamps, and in humid areas of scrub, forest, and rainforests. It mostly grows on trees that have rough bark.
This orchid is found in many countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and New Guinea. In Australia, it grows on the Cape York Peninsula, as far south as the town of Innisfail.
