Blunt-leaved bunny orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blunt-leaved bunny orchid |
|
|---|---|
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Eriochilus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
E. d. subsp. brevifolius
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Eriochilus dilatatus subsp. brevifolius (Benth.) Hopper & A.P.Br.
|
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Eriochilus dilatatus var. brevifolius Benth. |
|
The blunt-leaved bunny orchid (scientific name: Eriochilus dilatatus subsp. brevifolius) is a special plant in the Orchid family. It is only found naturally in Western Australia. This orchid has one small, smooth leaf with wavy edges and a pale red underside. It grows up to three greenish and white flowers. These flowers often have red or mauve markings. You can tell this orchid apart from its close relatives by the color of its leaf's underside and when it blooms.
Contents
About the Blunt-leaved Bunny Orchid
The blunt-leaved bunny orchid is a herb that grows from an underground tuber. This means it's a plant without a woody stem that dies back each year. It is also perennial, so it lives for more than two years. The plant is deciduous, meaning its leaves fall off at certain times of the year.
It has a single smooth leaf that is about 10 to 20 millimetres (0.4 to 0.8 inches) long. The leaf is also about 4 to 6 millimetres (0.16 to 0.24 inches) wide. The underside of the leaf is pale red, and its edges are wavy.
What the Flowers Look Like
Up to three flowers grow on a stem that can be 50 to 250 millimetres (2 to 10 inches) tall. Each flower is about 10 to 15 millimetres (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long and 9 to 14 millimetres (0.35 to 0.55 inches) wide. The flowers are mostly greenish with reddish markings. However, the two side sepals (which are like small leaves protecting the flower bud) are white.
The labellum is a special lip-like part of the orchid flower. On this orchid, the labellum curves downwards. It has three parts, called lobes. These lobes are covered with scattered groups of red and white hairs. The blunt-leaved bunny orchid blooms between March and June.
Naming the Blunt-leaved Bunny Orchid
The blunt-leaved bunny orchid was officially described in 2006. This was done by two scientists, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown. They studied a plant they found near the Murchison River.
The second part of its scientific name, brevifolius, helps describe it. This word comes from Latin. Brevis means "short," and folium means "leaf." So, brevifolius means "short-leaved," which describes one of its features.
Where the Orchid Lives
The blunt-leaved bunny orchid grows in areas with scrub and a type of bushland called mallee-heath. You can find it between the towns of Cataby and the Murchison River. These areas are part of the Geraldton Sandplains and Yalgoo regions in Western Australia.
Protecting the Orchid
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the blunt-leaved bunny orchid. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
