Spotted pitcher orchid facts for kids

The Saccolabiopsis armitii, also known as the spotted pitcher orchid, is a special type of plant. It's an epiphytic orchid, which means it grows on other plants, like trees, but doesn't harm them. It's part of the amazing Orchidaceae family, which has many beautiful flowers. This orchid has a short stem, strong, wiry roots, and usually three to six curved leaves. Its flowers are yellowish-green with cool red spots and a white lip (called a labellum). You can often find it growing in warm, wet places like coastal forests and rainforests in New Guinea and tropical North Queensland, Australia.

What Does the Spotted Pitcher Orchid Look Like?

The spotted pitcher orchid is an epiphytic herb. This means it's a plant that grows on other plants, like trees, but it doesn't have a woody stem. It has one main part that grows, along with strong, wiry roots.

Stem and Leaves

The stem of this orchid is usually about 20–50 millimetres (0.79–2.0 in) long. It has between three and six leaves that grow close together. These leaves are curved and measure about 30–60 millimetres (1.2–2.4 in) long and 10–12 millimetres (0.39–0.47 in) wide. If you look at the underside of a leaf, you'll see a clear line down the middle, called a midrib.

Flowers and Their Features

The spotted pitcher orchid produces many flowers, usually between twenty and fifty of them. These flowers are cup-shaped and hang down from a stem that is about 50–90 millimetres (2.0–3.5 in) long. Each flower is yellowish-green with red markings. They are small, about 5–7 millimetres (0.20–0.28 in) long and 3–5 millimetres (0.12–0.20 in) wide.

The flower parts include:

• The dorsal sepal (the top part) is about 2 millimetres (0.079 in) long and 1 millimetre (0.039 in) wide.
• The lateral sepals (the side parts) are similar in width but a bit longer.
• The petals are small, about 1 millimetre (0.039 in) long and wide.
• The labellum (the lip of the flower) is white. It's about 2 millimetres (0.079 in) long and 1 millimetre (0.039 in) wide. It has three parts, called lobes. The side lobes are shaped like triangles, and the middle lobe is short and round.
• The flower also has a red anther, which is part of the plant's reproductive system.

This orchid usually blooms from September to December.

How the Spotted Pitcher Orchid Got Its Name

The spotted pitcher orchid was first officially described in 1875. A scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller gave it the name Sarcochilus armitii. He published his description in a scientific book called Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae.

Later, in 1886, another scientist named Frederick Manson Bailey changed its name to Saccolabiopsis armitii. The second part of its scientific name, armitii, is a special tribute. It honors a person named William Armit, who was the one who first collected a sample of this particular orchid. This sample is known as the type specimen.

Where Does the Spotted Pitcher Orchid Live?

The Saccolabiopsis armitii orchid likes to grow in warm, humid places. You can find it in coastal scrub areas and rainforests. It usually grows within 150 kilometres (93 mi) of the coast.

This orchid is found in two main regions:

• New Guinea
• Queensland, Australia, specifically between the towns of Weipa and Bundaberg.