Philippa's china orchid facts for kids

The Caladenia nikulinskyae, also known as Philippa's china orchid, is a beautiful plant from the orchid family. It's special because it only grows in the south-west part of Western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area, found nowhere else in the world!

This orchid looks a lot like another orchid called Caladenia gemmata. However, Philippa's china orchid has slightly smaller flowers. It also has a unique part of its flower called a labellum with taller "calli," which are small bumps or ridges. The plant usually has one wide, flat leaf and can grow up to two pale blue flowers. You can find it growing near the town of Esperance.

What Does Philippa's China Orchid Look Like?

Philippa's china orchid is a terrestrial plant, meaning it grows in the ground. It's a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years and its soft stem dies back each year. This plant has an underground tuber (like a small potato) and a single flat leaf. This leaf is about 20 to 45 millimeters (about 1 to 2 inches) long and 5 to 10 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide.

The orchid produces one or two pale blue flowers. Each flower is about 20 to 30 millimeters (about 0.8 to 1.2 inches) long and wide. These flowers grow on a stalk that stands 70 to 130 millimeters (about 3 to 5 inches) tall.

Flower Parts

• The dorsal sepal (the top part of the flower) stands upright. It is about 11 to 15 millimeters long and 4 to 5 millimeters wide.
• The lateral sepals (the two side parts) and the petals are similar in size.
• The labellum (the orchid's special lip-like petal) is about 5 to 7 millimeters long and 3 to 4 millimeters wide. It has a pretty pale bluish-mauve and white color.
• The sides of the labellum have small, short teeth.
• The tip of the labellum curves downwards.
• Many rows of cylinder-shaped "calli" (small bumps) run along the middle of the labellum.

Philippa's china orchid blooms from September to early November.

How This Orchid Got Its Name

This special orchid was first officially described in the year 2000. Two scientists, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown, gave it the name Cyanicula nikulinskyae. They published their description in a scientific journal called Lindleyana. The plant they studied was found near Condingup, Western Australia.

Later, in 2015, another scientist named Mark Clements studied the orchid's DNA. Based on these "molecular phylogenetics" studies, he changed its name to Caladenia nikulinskyae. The second part of its name, nikulinskyae, is a tribute to a talented botanical artist named Philippa Nikulinsky. That's why one of its common names is Philippa's china orchid!

Where Philippa's China Orchid Lives

Philippa's china orchid mainly grows in the area between Fitzgerald River National Park and Israelite Bay. This region is part of the Esperance Plains and Mallee areas in Western Australia. These orchids prefer to grow in places that get wet during the winter months.

Is This Orchid Safe?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Caladenia nikulinskyae as "not threatened." This means that, for now, there are enough of these orchids, and they are not considered to be in danger of disappearing.