Wispy elbow orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wispy elbow orchid |
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Scientific classification | |
Genus: |
Arthrochilus
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Species: |
prolixus
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The Wispy elbow orchid (scientific name: Arthrochilus prolixus) is a special kind of flowering plant that belongs to the orchid family. You can only find it in eastern Australia, which means it's endemic there. This orchid has pretty bluish-green leaves that grow in a circle at its base. It also has unique, pale green flowers that look a bit like insects! These flowers have dark reddish or purplish spots on a part called the labellum.
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What the Wispy Elbow Orchid Looks Like
The Wispy elbow orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so it loses its leaves at certain times. This orchid grows from an underground part called a tuber. This tuber can also grow new "daughter" tubers on root-like parts called stolons.
At the base of the plant, there's a group of two to six leaves that form a circle, like a rosette. These leaves are long and narrow, about 40–70 mm (2–3 in) long and 7–15 mm (0.3–0.6 in) wide.
The orchid's flowers grow on a tall stem, which can be 80–200 mm (3–8 in) high. There can be anywhere from three to twenty-two pale green flowers on one stem. Each flower looks a bit like an insect and is about 10–16 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long.
Let's look at the parts of the flower:
- The dorsal sepal is a top leaf-like part. It's about 9–10 mm (0.35–0.39 in) long and wraps around the base of the column (the central part of the orchid flower).
- The lateral sepals are two side leaf-like parts. They are about 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long.
- The petals are thin, about 7 mm (0.3 in) long. Both the lateral sepals and petals bend backward.
- The labellum is a special lip-like part of the flower. It's about 6 mm (0.2 in) long and sits on a stalk called a "claw." This labellum has a raised part called a callus that looks like an insect. It has dark reddish-brown, hair-like glands in the middle. The tip of this callus has shiny black glands.
- The column is the main central part of the flower. It's light green or whitish with purple spots and is strongly curved.
This orchid usually blooms from December to February.
How the Orchid Got its Name
The Wispy elbow orchid was first officially described in 1991. A botanist named David Jones found a sample near Wauchope. He published his description in a book called Australian Orchid Research.
The second part of its scientific name, prolixus, comes from a Latin word. It means "stretched out long." This name refers to the long, insect-like parts on the orchid's labellum.
Where the Orchid Lives
The Wispy elbow orchid grows in forests. You can find it among grass and shrubs. It lives in eastern Australia, from Manly in New South Wales up to south-eastern Queensland.
The biggest group of these orchids is found in the Bulahdelah area. Interestingly, one group of these orchids has even started growing in rotting sawdust at a sawmill!
How the Orchid Reproduces
Like other Arthrochilus orchids, the Wispy elbow orchid needs help to make seeds. It is pollinated by male thynnid wasps. These wasps belong to a group called Arthrothynnus, but we don't know the exact type of wasp that pollinates this specific orchid.
Besides making seeds, this orchid can also make new plants in another way. It reproduces without seeds by growing new tubers underground. These new tubers can then grow into new orchid plants.