Bronze fingers facts for kids

The Bronze Fingers orchid, also known as Caladenia atradenia, is a special plant from the orchid family. It grows only in New Zealand, meaning it's endemic there. This orchid grows on the ground and has a thin, slightly hairy leaf. Its stem is like a thin wire, holding up one or two dark green or reddish flowers. These flowers often have cool maroon or bright pinkish-purple markings.

What the Bronze Fingers Orchid Looks Like

The Bronze Fingers orchid is a plant that grows on the ground. It's a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so some parts might die back in certain seasons. You might find these orchids growing alone or in small groups of up to ten plants.

This orchid has a special underground part called a tuber, which helps it store food. It also has one long, thin, hairy leaf. This leaf is about 10–16 cm (4–6 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.04–0.1 in) wide. It can be dark green or reddish-green.

Flowers and Their Parts

The Bronze Fingers orchid usually has one, sometimes two, flowers. Each flower is about 20 mm (0.8 in) across. They grow on a thin, hairy, reddish-green stem that can be 10–30 cm (4–10 in) tall. The flowers themselves are dark green to reddish-green, often with dark pinkish-purple marks.

Let's look at the flower's parts:

• The dorsal sepal is like a hood that curves forward over the center of the flower. It's about 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide, shaped like a narrow egg with a pointy tip.
• The lateral sepals are on the sides. They are 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide, shaped like a spear but curved.
• The petals are about 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. They look a bit like a sickle.
• The labellum is a special lip-like petal. It's white with purple stripes, about 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and 4 mm (0.16 in) wide when flat. It has three parts, or lobes, and curves forward. The side lobes stand upright.
• On the labellum, there are special bumps called calli. There are four to eight pairs of dark, purplish calli that get smaller towards the front. There are also two rows of white-stalked calli with dark tops in the middle.
• The column is the central part of the flower, where the pollen is. It's 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, stands straight up, and is greenish with red marks and narrow wings.

When it Flowers and Fruits

Bronze Fingers orchids usually bloom between August and December. After flowering, they produce a hairy seed pod called a capsule. This capsule is about 18–24 mm (0.7–0.9 in) long and 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide, and it's green with red stripes.

How the Bronze Fingers Orchid Got its Name

The scientific name, Caladenia atradenia, was first officially described by three botanists: David Jones, Brian Molloy, and Mark Clements. They published their description in a journal called The Orchadian.

The second part of the name, atradenia, comes from two older words. Ater is a Latin word meaning "black". Aden is an ancient Greek word meaning "gland". This name refers to the dark, almost black, calli (the bumps) on the orchid's labellum.

Where Bronze Fingers Orchids Live

Bronze Fingers orchids like to grow in poor soil. You can often find them under shrubs in forests that have a mix of cone-bearing trees and broad-leaved trees. They also grow on bare ground and even in pine tree farms. These orchids are found on both the North Island and the South Island of New Zealand.