Tom cats facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tom cats |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Liparis (plant)
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| Species: |
reflexa
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The Liparis reflexa, often called tom cats, onion orchid, or dog orchid, is a special plant. It belongs to the amazing orchid family. This plant is endemic to New South Wales, Australia. This means it naturally grows only in that area.
This orchid is a lithophytic plant. This means it grows on rocks. It can have up to four leaves. It also produces many yellowish-green flowers. These flowers can have a strong smell, sometimes described as like a wet dog. You can find these orchids in moist forests. They usually grow on rocks, but sometimes they can be found on the ground too.
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What Tom Cats Orchids Look Like
The Liparis reflexa is a type of herb. It usually grows on rocks, but sometimes it can grow in the soil. It has oval-shaped parts called pseudobulbs. These are like swollen stems that store water and nutrients. They are about 20 to 40 millimeters (0.8 to 1.6 inches) long. They are also about 15 to 30 millimeters (0.6 to 1.2 inches) wide.
This orchid has up to four leaves. These leaves are dark to yellowish-green. They can be long and narrow, like a spear. They measure about 100 to 300 millimeters (4 to 12 inches) long. They are also about 10 to 15 millimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) wide. The leaves are often folded lengthwise.
The plant produces a flowering stem. This stem can be 100 to 300 millimeters (4 to 12 inches) long. It holds between five and thirty or more flowers. Each flower is yellowish-green. They are about 10 to 15 millimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long. They are also 8 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. As mentioned, the flowers can smell like a wet dog.
Each flower has a small stalk called a pedicel. This stalk is 6 to 16 millimeters (0.2 to 0.6 inches) long. It includes the part that will become the seed pod, called the ovary. The flower has sepals that are 7 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long. They are about 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide. The petals are similar in length. However, they are thinner, only about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) wide. The special lower petal, called the labellum, is 7 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long. It is 3 to 4 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. This labellum curves downward and backward. You can see these orchids flowering between February and June.
Naming the Tom Cats Orchid
The tom cats orchid was first officially described in 1810. A botanist named Robert Brown gave it its first scientific name. He called it Cymbidium reflexum. He published this description in a book called Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.
Later, in 1825, another botanist named John Lindley changed its name. He renamed it Liparis reflexa, which is its current scientific name. The second part of the name, reflexa, comes from a Latin word. It means "bent" or "turned back." This likely refers to the way its labellum (the special petal) is shaped.
Where Tom Cats Orchids Grow
The Liparis reflexa orchid mostly grows on rocks. You can find it on steep cliffs called escarpments. It also grows on large rocks in deep valleys or gorges. It is very rare to find this orchid growing on trees.
This plant is found in specific areas of New South Wales. It grows between the Clyde River, Hastings River, and Hunter River valleys.
Images for kids
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Liparis reflexa in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
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Close-up of L. reflexa flower
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