Duramana fingers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Duramana fingers |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
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| Species: |
attenuata
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| Synonyms | |
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The Duramana fingers (scientific name: Caladenia attenuata) is a special type of orchid. It belongs to the orchid family, called Orchidaceae. This plant is found only in a small part of New South Wales, Australia. It grows on the ground and has one fuzzy leaf. Its white flowers grow on a tall stem, like a spike.
What Duramana Fingers Look Like
The Duramana fingers orchid is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. A tuber is like a small, round storage part, similar to a potato. This plant is a perennial, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times of the year.
It has one hairy leaf. The flowers are small, less than 10 mm (0.39 in) across. They grow on a stem that can be up to 24 cm (9 in) tall. The flowers are white. One part, called the dorsal sepal, curves forward. It forms a hood over the column, which is the central part of the orchid flower. The middle part of the flower's lip, called the labellum, has smooth edges but a wrinkled surface. These orchids usually bloom in October and November.
How It Got Its Name
This orchid was first officially described in 1964 by a person named William Brinsley. He named it Caladenia carnea var. attenuata. His description was based on a plant he found near Duramana, which is north of Bathurst. This information was published in a magazine called The Orchadian.
Later, in 2000, another botanist named David L. Jones decided it was unique enough to be its own species. So, he changed its name to Caladenia attenuata. The word attenuata comes from Latin. It means "drawn out," "tapered," or "thin," which likely describes a feature of the plant.
Where It Lives
When William Brinsley first described the Duramana fingers in 1964, he saw many of them. They were growing in a small area where he found the first plant. This place is called the type location.
However, people have looked for them many times since then but have not found any more in that area. The only other time this orchid was seen was a single plant found near Ilford in 1972. There might have been another sighting in the same area in 2013. Because of this, scientists believe there are very few of these orchids left. Both places where the orchids were seen are used for grazing by cattle and rabbits. This means animals eat the plants, which can make it harder for the orchids to survive.
Why It Needs Protection
The Duramana fingers orchid is in serious trouble. It is listed as "Critically Endangered." This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever. Both the New South Wales Government and the Australian Government have laws to protect it. These laws are the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW) and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act. These acts aim to help save plants and animals that are close to extinction.
