The smallest orchid in the world

The world's smallest orchid has been found by a botanist in Brazil, with a petal size of only 0.5 mm.

Discover the world's smallest orchid

This tiny flower was originally mistakenly thought to be a fungus but after screening it under a microscope, scientists at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil determined it to be a true orchid with a scientific name. is Campylocentrum. This tiny orchid bud is often mixed with the roots before sprung into a yellow pistil flower with 6 white wings.

Researcher Carlos Eduardo de Siqueira was the one who found this orchid growing on a branch in a greenhouse of the school's botanical department. This is also where he and his colleagues are studying small plants living parasites on other plants. According to the scientist, 10% of flowering plants belong to orchids . About 560 species have been found in the state of Santa Catarina, of which 24 are unprotected and 7 species are in danger.

After the discovery, he and his colleagues are trying to simulate details about the new orchid species. This flower has been included in the catalog of the February issue of "Systematic Botany".The smallest orchid known to scientists was discovered in 2009 in a mountainous region in Ecuador, measuring 2.1 mm.