Caladenia aestiva facts for kids

The Caladenia aestiva, also known as the summer spider orchid, is a special kind of plant. It belongs to the orchid family and grows only in south-eastern Australia. This ground orchid usually grows by itself or in small groups. You can find it in the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. It often has one or two greenish-yellow or pale yellow flowers. These flowers often appear when its single, hairy leaf is starting to wither.

What it Looks Like

The Caladenia aestiva is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. Think of a tuber like a small, round storage part of the plant, similar to a potato. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times.

This orchid has one leaf that is 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long and 4–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide. The leaf is dull green and a bit reddish near its base. Often, the leaf has already withered away by the time the flowers open.

One or two flowers grow on a stem called a spike, which can be up to 50 cm (20 in) tall. The top part of the flower, called the sepal, stands straight up. It's about 30–55 mm (1–2 in) long. The side sepals are also long, about 30–55 mm (1–2 in). The petals are a bit shorter. Both the petals and sepals become very thin and thread-like towards their ends.

The most interesting part is the labellum, which is like the orchid's "lip." It's about 13–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long and 8–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide. It's usually pale yellow or greenish-yellow, with a maroon color in the middle. The edges of the labellum have many small, tooth-like bumps called calli. There are also four to six rows of greenish to reddish calli in the center.

The central part of the flower, called the column, is 11–13 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long. It's greenish-yellow and sometimes has a few red marks. It also has wide parts that look like wings.

This orchid blooms from December to January. Its flowering is often helped by bushfires. The summer spider orchid has sometimes been confused with another orchid, Caladenia pallida. However, Caladenia aestiva has much larger flowers with petals and sepals that stand up more stiffly.

How it Got its Name

The Caladenia aestiva was officially described in 1991 by a botanist named David Jones. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. The first plant specimen used to describe this species was found near the road between Benambra and Wulgulmerang.

The second part of its scientific name, aestiva, comes from a Latin word. It means "summer." This name was chosen because the orchid blooms during the summer season. That's why it's also called the "summer spider orchid"!

Where it Lives

The summer spider orchid is found in many places in north-eastern Victoria. It likes to grow in sheltered, grassy areas within high-altitude woodlands. In the Australian Capital Territory, you can find it only in the Brindabella Range.