Small urchin orchid facts for kids

The small urchin orchid (its scientific name is Bryobium irukandjianum) is a special type of orchid. It grows in clumps and can be found living on other plants (called an epiphyte) or on rocks (called a lithophyte). This orchid has small, green, fleshy parts called pseudobulbs. Each pseudobulb has two or three leaves. The plant also grows between seven and twelve small flowers. These flowers are whitish to dull pink and do not last very long. You can only find this orchid growing in tropical North Queensland, Australia.

What Does the Small Urchin Orchid Look Like?

The small urchin orchid, Bryobium irukandjianum, is a herb that grows in small, thick clumps. It can live on other plants or on rocks.

• Pseudobulbs: The plant has small, oval-shaped pseudobulbs. These are like tiny storage organs, about 8–12 millimetres (0.31–0.47 in) long and wide.
• Leaves: Each pseudobulb has two or three leaves. These leaves are long and narrow, measuring about 50–120 millimetres (2.0–4.7 in) long and 6–10 millimetres (0.24–0.39 in) wide.
• Flowers: The orchid produces between seven and twelve flowers on a short stem. The stem is about 10–15 millimetres (0.39–0.59 in) long.
  • The flowers are small, about 3 millimetres (0.12 in) long and wide.
  • They are whitish to dull pink in color.
  • The flowers are self-pollinating, meaning they can pollinate themselves.
  • They also have a special twist, called resupinate, which means they appear upside down.
  • The sepals and petals are tiny, about 2 millimetres (0.079 in) long and 0.5 millimetres (0.020 in) wide.
  • The labellum (which is the orchid's special lip petal) is about 1.5 millimetres (0.059 in) long and 1 millimetre (0.039 in) wide. Its tip points downwards.
• Flowering Time: You can see these orchids flowering from October to December.

How the Small Urchin Orchid Got Its Name

The small urchin orchid was first officially described in 1955. A scientist named Stanley F. Goessling-St Cloud gave it the name Eria irukandjiana. He wrote about it in a science magazine called The North Queensland Naturalist.

Later, in 2002, two other scientists, Mark Clements and David Jones, changed its name to Bryobium irukandjianum.

The second part of its scientific name, irukandjianum, is a special word called a specific epithet. It refers to the Irukandji people. These are the Aboriginal people who traditionally lived in the area where this orchid grows. The ending -anum is a Latin suffix that means "belonging to" or "having to do with."

Where the Small Urchin Orchid Lives

The Bryobium irukandjianum orchid mostly grows high up on the branches of trees. It likes places that are very humid, meaning there is a lot of moisture in the air.

You can find this orchid in the state of Queensland, Australia. It grows in the area between the McIlwraith Range and the Atherton Tableland.