Fleshy flea orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fleshy flea orchid |
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| Illustration by Lewis Roberts | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Schoenorchis
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| Species: |
sarcophylla
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The fleshy flea orchid (scientific name: Schoenorchis sarcophylla) is a tiny, unique orchid. It grows on other plants, like trees, but it doesn't harm them. This special plant has many thin roots and dark green leaves. It also produces lots of small, white, tube-shaped flowers. You can find this orchid in places like New Guinea and the warm, wet areas of tropical North Queensland in Australia.
Contents
What Does the Fleshy Flea Orchid Look Like?
The fleshy flea orchid is a small plant that lives on other plants, like trees. It has many thin roots that help it hold on. Its stems are usually about 30–50 mm (1–2 in) long.
Leaves and Flowers
This orchid has between three and seven leaves. They are dark green, thick, and shaped like a narrow oval. Each leaf is about 20–30 mm (0.79–1.2 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.2–0.2 in) wide.
The plant produces many small, white flowers, usually between five and thirty of them. These flowers are tube-shaped and about 3 mm (0.12 in) long and wide. They grow closely together on a stiff stem that is 20–40 mm (0.8–2 in) long.
Flower Parts
Each flower has special parts:
- Sepals: These are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. They are about 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long.
- Petals: These are smaller than the sepals and are hidden by them.
- Labellum: This is a special lip-like petal that helps attract insects for pollination. It's about 3 mm (0.1 in) long and has three small parts, with a puffy spur at the end.
This orchid usually blooms between August and September.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The fleshy flea orchid was first officially described in 1913 by a scientist named Rudolf Schlechter. He published his description in a scientific book.
Meaning of the Scientific Name
The second part of its scientific name, sarcophylla, comes from two ancient Greek words:
- sarx (or sarkos) means "flesh."
- phyllon means "leaf."
So, sarcophylla means "flesh-leaf," which describes its thick, fleshy leaves.
Where Does the Fleshy Flea Orchid Live?
The fleshy flea orchid grows on trees in forests. It prefers to live in places that are quite high up, usually between 600 and 1,800 m (2,000 and 5,900 ft) above sea level.
You can find this orchid in:
- New Guinea
- Parts of Queensland, Australia, especially in the Iron Range and McIlwraith Ranges.
