Large-club spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Large-club spider orchid |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
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| Species: |
macroclavia
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| Synonyms | |
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The Large-club spider orchid (scientific name: Caladenia macroclavia) is a special type of flower. It is also known as the brown bayonets. This plant belongs to the amazing orchid family. You can only find this orchid in South Australia, which means it is endemic there.
This orchid grows from the ground. It has one fuzzy leaf and usually one flower. The flower is green or yellowish-green with cool dark red stripes in the middle. It's a very rare plant. In 2006, scientists thought there were only about 35 to 80 grown plants left.
What Does It Look Like?
The Large-club spider orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It is a perennial, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times. This plant has a special underground part called a tuber, which is like a storage root.
It grows a single, long, narrow leaf. This leaf is a dull green color and feels hairy. It can be about 80 to 140 mm (3 to 5.5 inches) long. The leaf might also have some reddish-purple spots.
Usually, only one flower grows on a thin, hairy stem. This stem can be about 150 to 280 mm (6 to 11 inches) tall. The flower itself is green or yellowish-green. It has dark red stripes in the middle.
The flower has parts called sepals. These sepals have dark brown, flat, club-like tips. These tips look a bit like bayonets and are about 12 to 16 mm long. One sepal curves forward, and it's about 45 to 60 mm (1.7 to 2.3 inches) long. The other two sepals curve downwards.
The petals of the flower are about 30 to 35 mm (1.2 to 1.4 inches) long. They also curve downwards. The labellum is a special part of the orchid, like a landing pad for insects. It's shaped like a long heart. It is green or yellowish-green with a dark red tip. The tip of the labellum curls underneath.
The labellum also has thin green "teeth" on each side. There are about six or seven of these teeth, up to 5 mm long. Along the middle of the labellum, there are four rows of small bumps called calli. These are about 2 mm long. This orchid usually blooms from August to October.
How It Got Its Name
The Large-club spider orchid was first officially described in 1991. A botanist named David Jones gave it its scientific name, Caladenia macroclavia. He found a sample of the plant near a place called Minlaton.
The name macroclavia comes from two old words. "Makros" is an Ancient Greek word that means "long". "Clava" is a Latin word that means "club". So, the name "macroclavia" refers to the long, club-like tips on the sepals of the flower.
Where Does It Live?
This special orchid grows in a type of woodland called mallee. Mallee woodlands have many small, bushy trees. You can find the Large-club spider orchid on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia.
Protecting This Orchid
The Large-club spider orchid is very rare. In 2006, experts believed there were only about 35 to 80 mature plants left. These plants were found in just five small groups. Most of them (95%) were in one group on private land. The other groups had fewer than five plants each.
Because it is so rare, this orchid is listed as "Endangered". This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever. It is protected by two important laws: the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act and the Commonwealth Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. These laws help protect rare plants and animals so they can survive.
