Tangled flea orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tangled flea orchid |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Schoenorchis
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| Species: |
micrantha
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The tangled flea orchid (Schoenorchis micrantha) is a tiny orchid that grows on other plants, but it doesn't harm them. This type of plant is called an epiphyte. It often forms small, messy bunches of thin stems and many long, narrow leaves. When it blooms, it has up to thirty small, white, bell-shaped flowers. You can find this special orchid in places from Indochina all the way to the south-west Pacific.
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What Does the Tangled Flea Orchid Look Like?
The tangled flea orchid is a small plant that grows on other plants. It forms tangled clumps. It has thin, curved, and twisted stems that can be about 3 to 15 centimeters (1 to 6 inches) long. It also has many thick, fleshy leaves that are about 3 to 6 centimeters (1 to 2 inches) long and about 2.5 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide.
Its Tiny Flowers
This orchid produces between five and thirty flowers on a stem that is about 1 to 3 centimeters (0.4 to 1.2 inches) long. The flowers are packed closely together. They are white and shaped like tubes or bells. Each flower is very small, only about 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) long and 1.5 millimeters (0.06 inches) wide.
The sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the flower, are about 2 millimeters long and 1 millimeter wide. The petals are about 2 millimeters long and 1.5 millimeters wide. The labellum, which is a special petal on an orchid, is about 2.5 millimeters long and has three parts called lobes. The side lobes stand up, and the middle lobe is short with a small spur. The tangled flea orchid usually blooms between April and July.
How the Tangled Flea Orchid Got Its Name
The tangled flea orchid was first officially described in 1825. A scientist named Carl Ludwig Blume wrote about it, using notes from another scientist, Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt. The plant's scientific name, micrantha, comes from two old Greek words. Mikros means "small" or "little," and anthos means "flower." So, micrantha basically means "small flower," which fits this tiny orchid perfectly!
Where Does the Tangled Flea Orchid Live?
The tangled flea orchid likes to grow on mangrove trees and rainforest trees. It prefers places that are humid and get plenty of light. You can find this orchid in many different countries and islands.
Places Where It Grows
It lives in Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Peninsular Malaysia, the Philippines, and Sumatra. It also grows in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Queensland in Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, and Vanuatu. In Queensland, Australia, you can find it between the Iron Range and the Tully River.
