Tableland midge orchid facts for kids

The tableland midge orchid (scientific name: Genoplesium alticola) is a tiny orchid. It is a special plant that only grows in Queensland, Australia. This orchid has a single thin leaf that is joined to its flower stem. It can have up to 25 small flowers. These flowers are hairy and have dark purplish-red and green colors. You can find this orchid in two small areas of Queensland. It grows in places that are quite high up, between 600 and 750 meters (about 2,000 to 2,500 feet) above sea level.

What the Tableland Midge Orchid Looks Like

The tableland midge orchid is a plant that grows from an underground tuber (like a small potato). It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so its leaves might fall off at certain times.

Leaves and Stems

Each orchid has one thin leaf. This leaf is about 15 to 25 centimeters (6 to 10 inches) long. Part of the leaf is joined to the flowering stem. The free part of the leaf is about 1.5 to 2.2 centimeters (0.6 to 0.9 inches) long. The flowering stem grows to be about 1.8 to 4 centimeters (0.7 to 1.6 inches) tall. It is usually shorter than the leaf.

Flowers and Their Parts

The orchid has between 10 and 25 flowers. These flowers are spaced out along the stem. They are dark purplish-red and green. Each flower is small, about 5 to 6 millimeters (0.2 inches) long and 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) wide.

The flowers are upside down! This means the labellum (a special lip-like petal) is above the column (the part that holds the pollen). Normally, the labellum is below.

Let's look at the flower parts:

• The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped. It is about 5 millimeters long and 4 millimeters wide. It has darker edges and three lines in the middle. The edges also have short, dark hairs.
• The lateral sepals are long and narrow. They are dark purplish-red, about 5 millimeters long and 1.5 millimeters wide. They spread out wide from each other.
• The petals are broadly egg-shaped. They are dark purplish-red, about 3 millimeters long and 1.5 millimeters wide. Their edges are very hairy.
• The labellum is shaped like an ellipse or egg. It is about 3 millimeters long and 1.5 millimeters wide. It has short, rough hairs on its sides.
• There is a small, oblong callus in the center of the labellum. This callus covers about half of the labellum's surface.

When it Flowers

The tableland midge orchid usually blooms between December and February.

How the Tableland Midge Orchid Got its Name

Discovery and Naming

The tableland midge orchid was first officially described in 1991. A botanist named David Jones found a sample of the plant near Danbulla. He then wrote a formal description of it. This description was published in a scientific book called Australian Orchid Research.

Meaning of the Name

The second part of its scientific name, alticola, comes from two Latin words:

• altus means "high"
• cola means "dweller"

So, alticola means "high dweller." This name refers to where the orchid lives, which is in higher places.

Where the Tableland Midge Orchid Lives

The tableland midge orchid grows in thin forests. It often grows among grass tussocks on ridges in higher areas. It has only been found in two places in Queensland:

• On the Atherton Tableland, near a town called Heberton.
• On a mountain called Walshs Pyramid.