Christmas Island hairseed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christmas Island hairseed |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Thrixspermum
|
| Species: |
carinatifolium
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
The Christmas Island hairseed (scientific name: Thrixspermum carinatifolium) is a special type of orchid. It's an "epiphyte," which means it grows on other plants, like trees, but doesn't harm them. This orchid has flat, long stems that grow in clumps, with many roots hanging in the air. Its leaves are also flat and fleshy, growing in two rows along the stems. The flowers are white or yellowish and open wide. You can find this orchid in places like Peninsular Malaysia and Christmas Island, which is part of Australia.
What it Looks Like
The Christmas Island hairseed is an epiphytic plant. This means it grows on other plants, usually trees, but it doesn't take food from them. It has flat, long stems that can be about 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches) long. It also has many thin, branching roots that hang in the air.
This orchid usually has five to ten leaves. Each leaf is shaped like an oval and is about 5 to 7 centimeters (2 to 3 inches) long. They are about 1.5 to 2 centimeters (0.6 to 0.8 inches) wide and have a rounded tip. The leaves grow in two neat rows along the stems.
The flowers are white to yellowish and are about 1.6 to 2 centimeters (0.6 to 0.8 inches) long and wide. They grow on a stiff, thin flowering stem that can be 12 to 24 centimeters (5 to 9 inches) long. The flower parts called sepals and petals spread out widely. The sepals are about 8 to 9 millimeters (0.3 inches) long and 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide. The petals are a bit shorter and narrower than the sepals.
The flower also has a special lip-like part called the labellum. It is about 7 millimeters (0.3 inches) long and 4 millimeters (0.2 inches) wide. This labellum has three parts, or lobes. The two side lobes are narrow, curved, and pointed, about 7 millimeters long. The middle lobe is thick and egg-shaped, with a curved sac and a rounded callus (a raised part). This orchid flowers at different times throughout the year.
How it Got its Name
The Christmas Island hairseed was first officially described in 1891. A scientist named Henry Ridley gave it the name Sarcochilus carinitifolius. He wrote about it in a science journal called Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
Later, in 1911, another scientist named Rudolf Schlechter changed its name to Thrixspermum carinatifolium. The second part of its scientific name, carinatifolium, comes from two Latin words. Carinatus means "keeled" (like the keel of a boat), and folium means "leaf." This name likely refers to a feature of its leaves.
Where it Lives
The Christmas Island hairseed grows on the upper branches of trees in rainforests. Sometimes, you can find it growing near the sea. It lives in several places, including Java, parts of Johor and Aur Island in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Christmas Island.
