Pretty fingers facts for kids

Caladenia gracillima, also known as pretty fingers, is a special type of orchid. It grows only in eastern Australia. This plant has one leaf and can have up to three bright pink flowers. The first example of this orchid was found in Yandina, southern Queensland. You can also find it in southern New South Wales.

What Does Pretty Fingers Look Like?

Pretty fingers is a plant that grows from the ground. It lives for many years and loses its leaves in some seasons. It has a special underground storage part called a tuber. Each plant has one leaf, which is about 9 to 15 centimeters (3.5 to 6 inches) long and 2 to 3 millimeters wide.

The plant grows a stalk that is 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) tall. On this stalk, you can see up to three bright pink flowers. The back of the flowers is a dusky pink color. Each flower is about 2.5 to 4 centimeters (1 to 1.5 inches) long and 2 to 4 centimeters wide.

The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, stands straight up. It is about 1 to 1.8 centimeters long. The side parts, called lateral sepals, are longer, about 1.3 to 2.5 centimeters long. The petals are 1.2 to 2.2 centimeters long. They spread out like a fan, with the lateral sepals in front of the flower.

The most interesting part is the labellum, which is like the orchid's "lip." It is about 6 to 8 millimeters long and 5 to 7 millimeters wide. It is white with pink or purple edges. The sides of the labellum curve upwards. The very tip of the labellum curls downwards. It has 8 to 14 yellow or orange "teeth" on each side. There are also two rows of red or orange bumps, called calli, along the middle of the labellum. Pretty fingers flowers bloom from August to September.

How Did Pretty Fingers Get Its Name?

This orchid was first officially described in 1939 by a person named Herman Rupp. He first called it Caladenia carnea var. gracillima. He wrote about it in a science magazine called The Queensland Naturalist. The plant he described was found in Yandina.

Later, in 2000, another botanist named David Jones decided that this orchid was special enough to be its own species. So, he gave it the name Caladenia gracillima.

The second part of its name, gracillima, comes from a Latin word. It means "most slender" or "most thin." Herman Rupp noticed that this orchid had very narrow parts and a narrower labellum compared to other similar orchids. That's how it got its "most slender" name!

Where Does Pretty Fingers Grow?

Pretty fingers grows in forests. You can find it between Dayboro and Cooroy in the south-east part of Queensland. It has also been found in the southern tablelands area of New South Wales.

Is Pretty Fingers Safe?

Good news! The Caladenia gracillima orchid is listed as being of "least concern" in Queensland. This means that for now, there are enough of these plants, and they are not considered to be in danger of disappearing.