Twisted sphinx orchid facts for kids

The Liparis angustilabris, also known as the twisted sphinx orchid, is a special plant. It belongs to the orchid family. This orchid is found only in northern Queensland, Australia.

It's an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid. This means it grows on other plants, like trees, or on rocks. It has thick stems called pseudobulbs. Each stem has one long, narrow leaf. The plant can have up to 35 pale green or yellowish flowers. These flowers have twisted parts called sepals and petals. You can find this orchid growing on trees and rocks in tropical North Queensland.

What the Twisted Sphinx Orchid Looks Like

The Liparis angustilabris is a type of herb. It grows on trees or rocks. It has many thick, tapered stems, called pseudobulbs. These stems are about 300 to 600 millimeters (12 to 24 inches) long. They are about 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) wide. When they are young, these stems are covered with leaf-like parts called bracts.

Each pseudobulb has one long, narrow leaf. This leaf is about 150 to 250 millimeters (6 to 10 inches) long. It is about 10 to 15 millimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) wide.

The plant produces between 15 and 35 flowers. These flowers are pale green to yellowish. They are about 6 to 8 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and 2 to 3 millimeters (0.08 to 0.12 inches) wide. The flowers grow on a stem that can be 150 to 250 millimeters (6 to 10 inches) long. This stem often bends or arches.

The sepals and petals of the flower curve backward. They point towards the ovary, which is where the seeds will form. These parts are about 5 to 6 millimeters (0.2 to 0.24 inches) long. They are about 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide. The labellum, which is the orchid's special lip-like petal, is also 5 to 6 millimeters long. It is about 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) wide. It has two small ridges in the middle. This orchid usually blooms between March and July.

How the Orchid Got Its Name

The twisted sphinx orchid was first officially described in 1864. A scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller gave it its first formal name. He called it Sturmia angustilabris. He wrote about it in a book called Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. His description was based on a plant collected by John Dallachy near Rockingham Bay.

Later, in 1978, another scientist named Donald Blaxell changed its name. He renamed it Liparis angustilabris. The second part of its name, angustilabris, comes from two Latin words. Angustus means "narrow." Labrum means "lip." So, the name describes the orchid's narrow lip.

Where the Orchid Lives

The Liparis angustilabris grows on trees and rocks. It prefers to live in rainforests. You can often find it in areas that are higher up, especially above 800 meters (2,600 feet). It grows in rainforests between the Cedar Bay and Paluma Range National Parks in Queensland.