Small purple orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small purple orchid |
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| Illustration by Lewis Roberts | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Spathoglottis
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| Species: |
paulinae
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The small purple orchid, also known by its scientific name Spathoglottis paulinae, is a beautiful plant from the orchid family. This lovely orchid grows naturally in New Guinea and the Tropical North Queensland area of Australia. It's an evergreen plant, meaning it stays green all year round. It grows on the ground and has many pseudobulbs (which are like swollen stems that store water and nutrients). Each plant has four to seven large, pleated leaves and can produce up to thirty pretty mauve to purple flowers.
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What Does the Small Purple Orchid Look Like?
The Spathoglottis paulinae is a plant that stays green all year and grows in the soil. It has many pseudobulbs that are 30–50 mm (1–2 in) long and wide. These pseudobulbs are usually found just below the ground.
Each pseudobulb grows between four and seven dark green leaves. These leaves are shaped like a spear tip, measuring 80–180 mm (3–7 in) long and 30–50 mm (1–2 in) wide. They grow on a stalk that is 60–120 mm (2–5 in) long.
The plant produces a flowering stem that can be 30–120 mm (1–5 in) long. On this stem, you can find between six and thirty pale mauve to purple flowers. Each flower is about 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long and wide.
Flower Parts
The flowers have sepals and petals. The sepals are 12–20 mm (0.5–0.8 in) long and 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. They are egg-shaped, but narrower at the bottom. The petals are 10–18 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long and 8–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide. They are broadly egg-shaped. All five of these parts together look like a star.
The labellum is a special lip-like petal that sticks out from the flower. It is 9–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long and 9–10 mm (0.35–0.39 in) wide and has three parts, called lobes. The middle lobe is shaped like a spatula and has two yellow bumps, called calli. The side lobes are thin and curve upwards.
When Does It Flower?
This orchid blooms between July and March. Some of these plants can self-pollinate, meaning they can make seeds without help from insects. Their flowers might not open very wide. Other plants rely on insects for pollination and their flowers open wide for a few days.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The small purple orchid, Spathoglottis paulinae, was first officially described in 1867. This description was made by a scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He wrote about it in a book called Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae.
Where Does the Small Purple Orchid Grow?
The small purple orchid likes to grow in wet areas. You can often find it among grasses in open forests. It lives in Papua New Guinea and West New Guinea. In Australia, it grows in tropical north Queensland, specifically between the towns of Cooktown and Ingham. It is also found in the northern parts of the Northern Territory.
