Caladenia oreophila facts for kids

Caladenia oreophila is a special kind of orchid plant. It grows only in a few places in south-eastern Australia. This orchid is a ground plant, meaning it grows from the soil. It has one leaf and a single flower. The flower is greenish-cream with light red stripes. It also has a reddish part called a labellum at its base.

What Does It Look Like?

Caladenia oreophila is a plant that grows from the ground. It's a perennial herb, which means it lives for many years. It also loses its leaves each year, like some trees do. This orchid has a round tuber (like a small potato) hidden underground. It has one leaf that is about 60 to 100 mm long and 5 to 12 mm wide.

A single flower grows on a stem that is about 120 to 200 mm tall. The flower is greenish-cream with light red stripes. It has parts called sepals and petals. The sepals have dark red, club-like tips that are 2 to 5 mm long. The sepals are 20 to 30 mm long. The petals are a bit shorter. Both the sepals and petals curve downwards. The petals spread out more than the sepals.

The labellum is the special lip-like part of the orchid. It is reddish with a greenish-cream base. It is about 11 to 13 mm long and 7 to 8 mm wide. The sides of the labellum curve upwards, and its tip curls under. The sides have tiny triangular teeth. These teeth are about 0.5 mm long. There are also four rows of small bumps, called calli, near the base of the labellum. These are about 1 mm long. This orchid flowers in September and October.

How It Got Its Name

This orchid was first officially described in 2006. A botanist named David Jones gave it the name Arachnorchis oreophila. This description was published in a book called Australian Orchid Research.

Then, in 2007, another botanist, Gary Backhouse, changed its name to Caladenia oreophila. The second part of its name, oreophila, comes from Greek words. It is said to mean "mountain-loving." This refers to where the plant grows. However, the correct Greek word for "mountain" is oros, not oreos.

Where Does It Live?

Caladenia oreophila is only found in one area in Victoria. This area is the Cann River valley. It grows in tall forests where there are not many small plants underneath the trees. Scientists think it might also grow in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales.

Protecting This Orchid

This special orchid is considered "endangered" in Victoria. This means it is at risk of disappearing forever. It is protected under a law called the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.