Dwarf common spider orchid facts for kids

The dwarf common spider orchid (scientific name: Caladenia hiemalis) is a special type of orchid that only grows in the south-west part of Western Australia. This means it's endemic to that area, found nowhere else in the world! It has one fuzzy leaf and usually one or two pretty cream-colored flowers. These flowers have a small part called a labellum (which is like a lip) with cool red stripes. This orchid blooms early in the year, and its flowering is often helped by summer bushfires.

What Does It Look Like?

The dwarf common spider orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It's a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so some parts die back each year. It has a special underground tuber (like a small potato) and one straight, hairy leaf. This leaf is about 4 to 12 centimeters (1.5 to 4.7 inches) long and about 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide.

The plant usually has one or two flowers on a stalk. This stalk can be 15 to 30 centimeters (6 to 12 inches) tall. Each flower is about 7 to 10 centimeters (2.7 to 3.9 inches) long and 6 to 10 centimeters (2.3 to 3.9 inches) wide. The flowers are cream-colored and have red marks. Their sepals (outer leaf-like parts) and petals (inner colorful parts) have long, thin, thread-like tips.

The top sepal, called the dorsal sepal, stands straight up. It's about 4.5 to 6.5 centimeters (1.7 to 2.5 inches) long. The side sepals are similar in size but curve downwards. The petals are held out to the sides. They are about 3.5 to 6 centimeters (1.3 to 2.3 inches) long.

The labellum (the orchid's lip) is white with red stripes. It's about 8 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long and 5 to 8 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide. The sides of the labellum have small teeth. The very tip of the labellum curls underneath. There are also two rows of small, cream-colored bumps called calli along the middle of the labellum. These calli look like tiny anvils and have red marks.

This orchid usually flowers from June to early August. It often blooms after bushfires have happened the previous summer.

How It Got Its Name

The dwarf common spider orchid was first officially described in 2001. Two scientists, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Phillip Brown, found a sample of it in the Gooseberry Hill National Park. They wrote about it in a science journal called Nuytsia.

The scientific name hiemalis comes from a Latin word. It means "of winter" or "wintry." This name was chosen because the orchid flowers during the winter months.

Where It Lives

You can find the dwarf common spider orchid growing between Jurien Bay and Tenterden in Western Australia. It lives in areas like the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, and Jarrah Forest. It usually grows in wandoo woodland, which is a type of forest with wandoo trees. It prefers moist soil in these areas.

Is It Protected?

The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife says that Caladenia hiemalis is "not threatened." This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.