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Sweet onion orchid facts for kids

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Sweet onion orchid
Microtis oblonga.jpg
Scientific classification
Genus:
Microtis (plant)
Species:
oblonga

The sweet onion orchid (Microtis oblonga) is a special type of orchid. It grows only in south-eastern Australia. This plant has a single, hollow leaf that looks a bit like an onion. It can grow up to fifty bright green flowers that smell sweet! Some experts think it might be the same as another orchid called Microtis rara.

What Does the Sweet Onion Orchid Look Like?

The sweet onion orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also a deciduous plant, which means it loses its leaves at certain times. This orchid is a herb, so it has soft stems, not woody ones.

  • It grows from an underground tuber. A tuber is like a small, round storage part of the plant.
  • It has one straight, smooth leaf. This leaf is shaped like a tube.
  • The leaf can be from 200 to 600 millimeters (about 8 to 24 inches) long. It is about 6 to 8 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide.

Its Flowers

The sweet onion orchid has between ten and fifty bright green flowers. These flowers have a sweet smell. They grow along a tall stem. This stem can be from 400 to 900 millimeters (about 16 to 35 inches) tall.

  • Each flower is about 5 to 6 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) long. They are about 2 to 3 millimeters (about 0.1 inches) wide.
  • The top part of the flower is called the sepal. It stands up straight. It is about 3 millimeters (about 0.1 inches) long and wide.
  • The side sepals are also about 3 millimeters long. They are about 1 millimeter wide. Their tips are usually curled under.
  • The petals are about 2 to 2.5 millimeters long. They are about 1 millimeter wide. They usually curve forward.
  • The labellum is a special lip-like part of the orchid flower. It is oblong, which means it is longer than it is wide.
  • The labellum is about 3 to 3.5 millimeters long. It is about 1.5 to 2 millimeters wide. It has uneven edges.
  • This labellum turns downward towards the ovary. The ovary is where the seeds will grow.
  • There is a raised, dark green spot in the middle of the labellum. This spot is called a callus.
  • You can see these orchids flowering from October to February.

Naming the Sweet Onion Orchid

The sweet onion orchid was first officially described in 1923. A scientist named Richard Sanders Rogers gave it its formal name. He wrote about it in a publication called Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia.

  • Many Australian experts believe this orchid is the same as Microtis rara.
  • The second part of its scientific name, oblonga, comes from a Latin word. It means "longer than broad." This describes the shape of its labellum.

Where Does It Grow?

The sweet onion orchid grows in open forests. You can find it among grasses and shrubs.

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