Caladenia peisleyi facts for kids

Caladenia peisleyi is a special kind of plant from the orchid family. It's found only in a small part of south-eastern Australia. This orchid grows from the ground and has a single leaf. It produces a beautiful greenish-yellow flower with light red stripes. It can be a bit tricky to tell apart from some other similar orchids!

What it Looks Like

Caladenia peisleyi is a plant that grows from the ground, not on trees. It's a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves might fall off at certain times. This plant has an underground tuber (like a small potato) and one long leaf, about 6 to 12 centimeters (2.4 to 4.7 inches) long and 0.4 to 0.7 centimeters (0.16 to 0.28 inches) wide.

Each plant usually has one greenish-yellow flower with pale red stripes. This flower grows on a stem about 12 to 20 centimeters (4.7 to 7.9 inches) tall. The flower has parts called sepals and petals. These parts are about 2 to 3.5 centimeters (0.79 to 1.38 inches) long. They end in thin, thread-like tips. The sepals and petals also have narrow, dark red, club-like tips that are 0.5 to 1.2 centimeters (0.20 to 0.47 inches) long.

The middle part of the flower is called the labellum. It's greenish-cream with light reddish stripes. It measures about 1.1 to 1.3 centimeters (0.43 to 0.51 inches) long and 0.7 to 0.9 centimeters (0.28 to 0.35 inches) wide. The sides of the labellum have tiny triangular teeth. There are also four rows of small bumps called calli near the base of the labellum. This orchid usually flowers in September and October. It looks very similar to other Caladenia orchids found in the same areas.

How it Got its Name

This orchid was first officially described in 2006 by a botanist named David Jones. He first named it Arachnorchis peisleyi. This description was published in a scientific book called Australian Orchid Research. Then, in 2007, another botanist, Gary Backhouse, changed its name to Caladenia peisleyi. The second part of its name, peisleyi, was chosen to honor Allan Bertrand Peisley. He was an Australian expert who studied orchids.

Where it Lives

Caladenia peisleyi is only known to grow in a place called East Gippsland in Australia. It likes to live in areas with heath (a type of shrubland) and heathy forests. Scientists think it might also grow on the south coast of New South Wales.

Protecting this Orchid

Caladenia peisleyi is considered "vulnerable" in the state of Victoria. This means it's a plant that needs special protection because its numbers are low. It's listed under a law called the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. This law helps protect plants and animals that are at risk.