Cream spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cream spider orchid |
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| Caladenia horistes growing near Ongerup | |
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Caladenia
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| Species: |
horistes
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The cream spider orchid (scientific name: Caladenia horistes) is a special type of orchid. It grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area. It's called a "spider orchid" because its flowers often look a bit like spiders! This unique plant has a single, fuzzy leaf. Its flowers are usually creamy-yellow with cool red stripes on the labellum (which is like the orchid's "lip"). The tips of its sepals and petals are long, dark, and look like threads.
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What Does the Cream Spider Orchid Look Like?
The cream spider orchid is a perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It is also a deciduous herb. This means its leaves die back each year, but the plant regrows from an underground tuber (like a small storage root). It has one straight, hairy leaf that is about 40–160 mm (2–6 in) long and 3–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide.
This orchid usually has one or two flowers. Each flower is about 50–80 mm (2–3 in) long and 40–60 mm (1.6–2.4 in) wide. They grow on a stem that is about 140–250 mm (6–10 in) tall. The flowers are cream-coloured or creamy-yellow. Their sepals and petals spread out sideways. They also have long, dark, thread-like tips that droop downwards.
The top sepal, called the dorsal sepal, stands upright. It is about 45–90 mm (2–4 in) long. The side sepals are about the same size. The petals are about 40–80 mm (2–3 in) long.
The labellum (the orchid's "lip") is about 12–16 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and 10–13 mm (0.4–0.5 in) wide. It is a similar colour to the sepals and petals. But it has pale brown or red lines and blotches. The sides of the labellum have small teeth. The very tip of the labellum turns downwards. There are also two rows of cream or yellowish, anvil-shaped calli (small bumps) along its center. These orchids usually bloom from August to early October.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The cream spider orchid was first officially described in 2001. This was done by two scientists, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Phillip Brown. They found a sample of the plant near Esperance. Their description was published in a science journal called Nuytsia.
The second part of its scientific name, horistes, comes from an Ancient Greek word. It means "definer of boundaries." This name was chosen because this orchid grows at the eastern edge of where similar types of orchids are found.
Where Does This Orchid Live?
The cream spider orchid grows in Western Australia. You can find it between the Fitzgerald River National Park and Balladonia. It lives in several different biogeographic regions. These include the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee areas. It prefers to grow in shrubland near creeks and around granite rock outcrops.
Is the Cream Spider Orchid Safe?
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the cream spider orchid. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means it is currently not in danger of disappearing.
