Red rope orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red rope orchid |
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| Bulbophyllum schillerianum in the Mount Annan Botanic Garden | |
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Bulbophyllum
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| Species: |
schillerianum
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The Red Rope Orchid (Bulbophyllum schillerianum), also known as the red rope orchid, is a special kind of plant. It's an epiphyte, meaning it grows on other plants like trees. It can also be a lithophyte, growing on rocks. This orchid has unique stems that look like ropes.
It has small, red or orange flowers. Each flower has a fuzzy part called a labellum. You can find this orchid growing in eastern Australia. It lives in rainforests and even on trees in open fields.
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What Does the Red Rope Orchid Look Like?
The Red Rope Orchid is a herb that grows on trees or rocks. Its stems can be about 100 to 300 mm (4 to 12 inches) long. These stems often hang down.
Stems and Leaves
Along the stems, there are small, swollen parts called pseudobulbs. These pseudobulbs are about 8 to 12 mm (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long. They are spaced about 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) apart. Each pseudobulb has one thick, long leaf. The leaf can be 200 to 800 mm (8 to 30 inches) long. It has a groove on its top surface.
Flowers
The flowers of the Red Rope Orchid are small, only 4 to 7 mm (0.16 to 0.28 inches) long. They are usually red or orange. These flowers grow in groups of up to ten on a short stem.
The flower has fleshy parts called sepals and petals. The sepals are about 4 to 7 mm long. The petals are smaller, about 2 mm long. The most interesting part is the labellum. It is brown and about 2 mm long. The edges of the labellum are hairy, and it has a sharp bend in the middle. This orchid usually blooms from March to August.
How the Red Rope Orchid Got Its Name
The Red Rope Orchid was first officially described in 1860. A scientist named Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach gave it its formal name, Bulbophyllum schillerianum. He wrote about it in a gardening magazine. The first plant he studied was grown in a garden belonging to "Herrn Consul Schiller."
Where the Red Rope Orchid Lives
The Red Rope Orchid grows in eastern Australia. You can find it in Queensland and New South Wales. It lives between the Cedar Bay National Park in Queensland and the Hunter River in New South Wales.
This orchid likes to grow on rainforest trees and mangrove trees. It also grows on large rocks and near stream banks. Sometimes, you can even spot it on trees left in open fields.
