Small-lipped white spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small-lipped white spider orchid |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Caladenia |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
C. l. subsp. albella
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| Trinomial name | |
| Caladenia longicauda subsp. albella Hopper & A.P.Br.
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| Synonyms | |
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Arachnorchis longicauda subsp.albella (Hopper & A.P.Br.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. |
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The Caladenia longicauda subsp. albella, also known as the small-lipped white spider orchid, is a special plant. It belongs to the orchid family and is found only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This means it's endemic to that area.
This orchid has a single leaf that feels a bit hairy. It can grow up to four flowers, which are mostly white. These flowers have a strong, noticeable smell. You can usually find this orchid growing in swamps that fill with water only during certain seasons. It grows in an area between the towns of Eneabba and Gingin.
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What Does the Small-Lipped White Spider Orchid Look Like?
The small-lipped white spider orchid is a plant that grows on land. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, which means some parts, like its leaves, might die back in certain seasons. This orchid is a herb, which is a plant without a woody stem.
It has a special underground part called a tuber. This tuber helps the plant store food. From the tuber grows a single leaf that is about 12 to 20 centimeters (5-8 inches) long and 0.3 to 1.1 centimeters (0.1-0.4 inches) wide. This leaf is covered in fine hairs.
Flowers of the Small-Lipped White Spider Orchid
This orchid can have up to four flowers on a tall stem. The stem usually grows to be about 25 to 45 centimeters (10-18 inches) tall. Each flower is quite large, measuring about 10 to 15 centimeters (4-6 inches) long and 5 to 10 centimeters (2-4 inches) wide. Most of the flower parts are white.
Unlike some other orchids that smell nice, the flowers of this subspecies have a strong, sharp smell. The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, stands straight up. The side parts, called lateral sepals, are about 0.2 to 0.5 centimeters (0.08-0.2 inches) wide. The petals are a bit narrower, about 0.2 to 0.3 centimeters (0.08-0.1 inches) wide.
The special lip-like part of the flower, called the labellum, is white. It is about 0.4 to 0.6 centimeters (0.16-0.24 inches) long and has narrow teeth that are also 0.4 to 0.6 centimeters long. The central part of the flower, called the column, is about 1.2 to 1.5 centimeters (0.5-0.6 inches) long and 0.4 to 0.6 centimeters wide.
You can tell this orchid apart from other similar orchids by its narrow sepals and petals, its small labellum, and where it grows. This orchid usually blooms from August to mid-September.
How Was This Orchid Named?
The main species, Caladenia longicauda, was first officially described by a person named John Lindley in 1840. This description was published in a book called A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony.
Later, in 2001, two scientists, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown, described eleven different types, or subspecies, of Caladenia longicauda. One of these was subspecies albella. Their descriptions were published in a scientific journal called Nuytsia.
The name albella comes from a Latin word, albus, which means "white." The "ella" part makes it a "small white." This name was chosen because the flowers of this orchid are small and white.
Where Does This Orchid Live?
The small-lipped white spider orchid is quite common in the area between Eneabba and Gingin in Western Australia. It likes to grow in places that are wet during certain times of the year, like seasonal swamps. You can also find it near creeks and on the edges of lakes. These areas are part of what scientists call the Geraldton Sandplains and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions.
Is This Orchid Protected?
The good news is that the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Caladenia longicauda subsp. albella as "not threatened." This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
