Stuart Mill spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stuart Mill spider orchid |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
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| Species: |
cretacea
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| Synonyms | |
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Arachnorchis cretacea D.L.Jones |
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The Caladenia cretacea, also known as the Stuart Mill spider orchid, is a unique plant. It is part of the amazing orchid family. This special orchid grows only in a small area of Victoria, Australia. It is a rare plant that grows from the ground. It has one leaf and usually one or two white flowers. These flowers grow on a stem that has tiny hairs.
What This Orchid Looks Like
The Stuart Mill spider orchid is a plant that lives for many years. It grows from a round underground part called a tuber. This tuber helps the plant store food. The orchid has one leaf that is shaped like a spear. It is reddish-green and can be about 5 to 12 centimeters (2 to 5 inches) long. It is about 6 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide.
This orchid usually has one or two white or greyish-white flowers. The tips of the flowers have a reddish-brown color. These flowers grow on a hairy stem that is about 20 to 35 centimeters (8 to 14 inches) tall. The flowers have a smell that some people say is like hot metal.
The petals and sepals of the flower are about 3.5 to 6 centimeters (1.4 to 2.4 inches) long. Sometimes, they have a reddish line down their middle. The top sepal stands straight up. The side sepals and petals spread out wide but then droop down at their ends. The sepals are flat near their base and then become very thin, like a thread. They have reddish-brown hairs that look like tiny glands. The petals are similar but a bit shorter.
The labellum is a special lip-like part of the orchid flower. It is narrow and shaped like a triangle. It is about 14 to 16 millimeters (0.55 to 0.63 inches) long and 8 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. It is cream-colored with reddish lines. The sides of the labellum curve upwards. They have a fringe of reddish teeth, which are mostly small. Along the center of the labellum, there are about four rows of foot-shaped bumps called calli. These bumps get smaller towards the front. This orchid usually flowers between late August and early October.
How it Got its Name
This orchid was first officially described in 2006 by a botanist named David L. Jones. He first named it Arachnorchis cretacea. This description was published in a scientific book called Australian Orchid Research. The plant he studied was found in the Dalyenong Nature Conservation Reserve.
In 2007, another botanist, Gary Backhouse, changed its name to Caladenia cretacea. He published this name change in The Victorian Naturalist. The second part of its scientific name, cretacea, comes from a Latin word. It means "chalky." This name was chosen because the flowers of this orchid are a dull white to grey color, like chalk.
Where it Lives
The Stuart Mill spider orchid grows in eucalypt forests. These forests often have a "heathy understorey," which means there are many small, shrubby plants growing beneath the taller trees. This orchid is only found in one specific place. It lives in the John Colahan Griffin Nature Reserve, which is near a town called Stuart Mill in Victoria.
Protecting This Orchid
The Caladenia cretacea is a very important plant to protect. The government of Victoria lists it as "Endangered" under their Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever.
The Australian government also lists it as "Critically Endangered" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act. This is the highest level of risk.
Good news! People have been working hard to help this orchid. They have successfully grown new plants and put them back into nature. By 2016, 70 out of 124 planted orchids were still alive. The biggest dangers to this orchid are other plants, called weeds, that grow too much. Also, native animals and rabbits sometimes eat the orchids, which harms them. Efforts are ongoing to protect this special plant.
