Island white spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Island white spider orchid |
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| Conservation status | |
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. insularis
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| Trinomial name | |
| Caladenia longicauda subsp. insularis Hopper & A.P.Br. ex A.P.Br. & G.Brockman
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The Caladenia longicauda subsp. insularis, also known as the island white spider orchid, is a special type of plant. It belongs to the orchid family and is found only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area.
This orchid has a single leaf that feels a bit fuzzy. It can grow up to four yellowish-white flowers. These flowers have long, spreading parts called sepals and petals. The island white spider orchid is quite rare. It can pollinate itself, which means it doesn't need help from insects or other plants to make seeds. You can often see flowers at different stages on one plant: some still in bud, some fully open, and some that have already finished blooming.
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What the Island White Spider Orchid Looks Like
The island white spider orchid is a terrestrial plant, meaning it grows in the ground. It's also a perennial, which means it lives for more than two years. It's a deciduous herb, so it loses its leaves at certain times of the year, and it's not woody like a tree. This orchid grows from an underground tuber, which is like a small, round storage part, similar to a potato. Usually, these orchids grow by themselves, not in big groups.
Its single hairy leaf can be about 60 to 200 millimeters (2.4 to 7.9 inches) long and 5 to 12 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) wide.
The orchid can have up to four yellowish-white flowers. Each flower is about 80 to 100 millimeters (3.1 to 3.9 inches) long and 70 to 90 millimeters (2.8 to 3.5 inches) wide. These flowers grow on a stem called a spike, which can be 200 to 400 millimeters (7.9 to 15.7 inches) tall.
Let's look closely at the flower parts:
- The dorsal sepal is the part that stands upright at the top. It's about 40 to 60 millimeters (1.6 to 2.4 inches) long and 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide.
- The lateral sepals are on the sides. They are also 40 to 60 millimeters (1.6 to 2.4 inches) long but a bit wider, about 2 to 4 millimeters (0.08 to 0.16 inches).
- The petals are similar to the lateral sepals, about 40 to 50 millimeters (1.6 to 2.0 inches) long and 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide. Both the lateral sepals and petals spread out wide near their base, then curve downwards.
The labellum is the special lip-like part of the orchid flower. It's white, about 10 to 15 millimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long and 5 to 7 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide. It has narrow teeth along its sides, up to 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) long. In the middle of the labellum, there are four or more rows of pale red bumps called calli, which are up to 1.5 millimeters (0.06 inches) long.
This beautiful orchid usually blooms from August to September.
How the Island White Spider Orchid Got Its Name
The scientific name for this orchid, Caladenia longicauda, was first officially written down 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, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown looked closer at this orchid group and described eleven different types, or subspecies. Then, in 2015, Andrew Brown and Garry Brockman described three more subspecies, including the insularis type we are talking about. Their new descriptions were published in a science journal called Nuytsia.
Before it got its official name, this subspecies was known as Caladenia longicauda subsp. 'Duke of Orleans Bay'. Hopper and Brown had even prepared an unpublished paper about it.
The subspecies name insularis comes from a Latin word. It means "of islands." This name was chosen because the first plant specimen used to describe this subspecies (called the type specimen) was found on an island.
Where the Island White Spider Orchid Lives
The island white spider orchid is found in a very small area. It grows east of a town called Esperance in Western Australia. This area is part of the Esperance Plains biogeographic region, which is a natural area with similar plants and animals.
This orchid likes to grow in shallow soil. You can find it in coastal heath areas, which are open lands with small shrubs. It often grows on low granite outcrops, which are areas where granite rock sticks out of the ground near the coast.
Protecting the Island White Spider Orchid
The Caladenia longicauda subsp. insularis is very important to protect. The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given it a special classification: "Priority One."
What does "Priority One" mean? It means that this orchid is known to exist in only one or a few places. These places are potentially at risk, which means the orchid could be in danger of disappearing. Because it's so rare and special, efforts are made to protect its habitats and ensure it can continue to grow and thrive for the future.
