''Robiquetia minimiflora'', or the tiny-flowered abdominea, is a very rare

monopodial Vascular plants with monopodial growth habits grow upward from a single point. They add leaves to the apex each year and the stem grows longer accordingly. The word ''Monopodial'' is derived from Greek "mono-", ''one'' and "podial", "foot", in refe ...

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

species. It was previously known as the ''Abdominea minimiflora''. It is distributed from

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

to the

Malay peninsula The Malay Peninsula ( Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The are ...

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

, and the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. The name is derived from the Latin ''abdomen'', meaning belly. It refers to the similarity between the shape of the labellum (lip) and the shape of the abdomen of an insect. The species produces very small flowers, about 0.45 cm wide, on a racemose, many-flowered inflorescence.

References

External links

* *
IOSPE orchid photos ''Abdominea minimiflora''
* ttp://www.phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/pelserpb/r/Orchidaceae_Abdominea_minimiflora_57541.html Phytoimages, Jim Cootes, Orchidaceae ''Abdominea minimiflora''* ttp://www.les-orchidees-de-sam.ch/orchid/abdominea/ Les Orchidées de sam, ''Abdominea'' minimiflora Epiphytic orchids Orchids of Malaya Orchids of Java Orchids of the Philippines Orchids of Thailand {{Vandeae-stub