Blushing spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blushing spider orchid |
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| Caladenia lorea growing near Eneabba | |
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Caladenia
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| Species: |
lorea
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The Caladenia lorea, commonly known as the blushing spider orchid, is a special type of orchid. It only grows in the south-west part of Western Australia. This unique plant has a single, fuzzy leaf. It can grow up to three flowers that are cream, pink, and red. Interestingly, it often mixes with another orchid called the white spider orchid (Caladenia longicauda). When they mix, they create new flowers that look like a blend of both!
What Does It Look Like?
The Blushing Spider Orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It's a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years. It grows back each year from an underground tuber (like a small potato). It has one straight, hairy leaf that is about 12 to 20 centimeters (5 to 8 inches) long. The leaf is about 0.7 to 1 centimeter (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide.
Each plant can have up to three beautiful flowers. These flowers are cream, pink, and red. They are quite large, about 10 to 16 centimeters (4 to 6 inches) long and 7 to 12 centimeters (3 to 5 inches) wide. The flowers grow on a stalk that stands tall, about 25 to 40 centimeters (10 to 16 inches) high.
Flower Parts
The orchid's sepals and petals have thin, light brown, club-like tips. These tips can be anywhere from 1 to 7 centimeters (0.4 to 2.8 inches) long.
- The top sepal, called the dorsal sepal, stands straight up. It is about 3.5 to 10 centimeters (1.4 to 3.9 inches) long and 0.15 to 0.4 centimeters (0.06 to 0.16 inches) wide.
- The two side sepals, called lateral sepals, are also 3.5 to 10 centimeters (1.4 to 3.9 inches) long. They are a bit wider, about 0.3 to 0.7 centimeters (0.12 to 0.28 inches) wide.
- The petals are 3 to 9 centimeters (1.2 to 3.5 inches) long and 0.2 to 0.4 centimeters (0.08 to 0.16 inches) wide.
The side sepals and petals spread out wide near their base. But as they get closer to their tips, they turn downwards.
The most interesting part is the labellum. This is the orchid's special lip. It is about 1.7 to 2.7 centimeters (0.7 to 1.1 inches) long and 1 to 1.5 centimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) wide. It is pink with a dark red tip that curls underneath. The sides of the labellum have thin teeth, up to 0.8 centimeters (0.3 inches) long. In the center, there are four rows of dark red bumps called calli, which are up to 0.2 centimeters (0.08 inches) long.
This orchid blooms from August to early October. As mentioned, it often creates hybrid forms by mixing with the Caladenia longicauda.
How It Got Its Name
The Blushing Spider Orchid, Caladenia lorea, was first officially described in 2001. This was done by two scientists, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Phillip Brown. They found a sample of the plant near Jurien Bay. Their description was then published in a science journal called Nuytsia.
The second part of its name, lorea, comes from a Latin word, lorum. This word means "strap" or "thong." It refers to the long, club-like tips on the sepals and petals of the flower, which look a bit like straps.
Where Does It Grow?
The Blushing Spider Orchid grows in Western Australia. You can find it between Yanchep and Leeman. There's also a separate group of these orchids growing south of Bunbury.
It lives in specific natural areas called biogeographic regions. These include the Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, and Swan Coastal Plain. This orchid likes to grow in places that get wet during the winter months.
Is It Safe?
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the Blushing Spider Orchid. They have classified Caladenia lorea as "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
