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Rufous midge orchid

Genoplesium rufum

Rufous midge-orchid is a small, deciduous terrestrial orchid from the forests of New South Wales, Australia, with a single wiry leaf and drooping pinkish to reddish flowers. It is a native wildflower rather than a common garden plant, and it is best left in its natural habitat.

Family
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Grows as
Orchid
Light
Part shade
Water
Water moderately while in active growth, and let it rest dry while dormant.
Soil
Well-drained, sandy or leafy soil kept gritty and open.
Temperature
10–25 °C; tolerates cool conditions
How easy
Hard
Native range
E. New South Wales
Climate
subtropical

About

Genoplesium rufum, commonly known as rufous midge-orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single thin, wiry leaf and up to twenty five drooping, pinkish or reddish flowers on a flowering stem which is fused to the lower part of the leaf. It was formerly thought to range from Queensland to South Australia and Tasmania but specimens in other states are now assigned to Genoplesium clivicola.

Where it grows

Rufous midge-orchid is locally common in forest between Ku-ring-gai and Bargo.

Other Genoplesium plants

Corunastylis densa · Genoplesium laminatum · Genoplesium leptochilum · Genoplesium trifidum · Midge Orchids · Pointed midge orchid · Tableland midge orchid · Black midge orchid · Freak midge orchid · Elfin midge orchid · Erect midge orchid · Brittle midge orchid

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Genoplesium rufum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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