Tangle orchids facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tangle orchids |
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| Plectorrhiza brevilabris on Cape York Peninsula | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Tribe: | Vandeae |
| Subtribe: | Aeridinae |
| Genus: | Plectorrhiza Dockrill |
Plectorrhiza, commonly known as tangle orchids, is a genus of three types of flowering plants. They are part of the Orchid family, called Orchidaceae. These special orchids are found only in Australia. Tangle orchids often grow on other plants (they are epiphytic) or on rocks (they are lithophytic). They have short stems and long, tangled roots. Their leaves are short and leathery. Small flowers grow on a short, thin stem. Two types of tangle orchids live in eastern Australia. One type is found only on Lord Howe Island.
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What Tangle Orchids Look Like
Tangle orchids are plants that grow on other plants or rocks. They have long, thick roots that often hang in the air. These roots look tangled, which is how they got their name. Each orchid plant has two or more short, tough leaves.
Their Flowers
Tangle orchids have several small flowers. These flowers grow on a short, thin stem. The flowers are "resupinate," which means they look like they are upside down. This is common for many orchids.
The flowers have parts called sepals and petals. These parts are similar in shape and are separate from each other. The petals are a little shorter than the sepals. Each flower also has a special part called a labellum. The labellum has three sections, or lobes. It also has a spur that points backward. Inside the spur, there is a hairy, finger-like bump called a callus.
Naming Tangle Orchids
The group of plants called Plectorrhiza was officially named in 1967. This was done by a scientist named Alick Dockrill. He wrote about it in a book called Australasian Sarcanthinae. Before 1967, these three types of orchids were part of a different plant group. That group was called Cleisostoma.
Types of Tangle Orchids
There are three known types of tangle orchids:
- Plectorrhiza brevilabris (F.Muell.) Dockrill
- Plectorrhiza erecta (Fitzg.) Dockrill
- Plectorrhiza tridentata (Lindl.) Dockrill
Where Tangle Orchids Live
All three types of Plectorrhiza orchids like to grow in shady and humid forests.
Specific Locations
- Plectorrhiza tridentata is the most common type. It grows in eastern Queensland, New South Wales, and the very north-eastern part of Victoria.
- Plectorrhiza brevilabris is found only in Queensland.
- P. erecta grows only in coastal areas of Lord Howe Island.
