Lake Muir spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Muir spider orchid |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
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| Species: |
validinervia
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| Synonyms | |
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Caladenia sp. 'Muir Highway' |
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The Caladenia validinervia, often called the Lake Muir spider orchid, is a special type of orchid. It grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This orchid is quite rare. It has a single leaf that stands up straight and is covered in tiny hairs. Its flowers are usually greenish or creamy white. They often have cool red stripes on their sepals and petals. The flowers have narrow sepals and petals. They also have a small labellum, which is a special lip-like petal. This orchid is only found in a small area between Rocky Gully and Collie.
What It Looks Like
The Lake Muir spider orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It lives for many years and has an underground tuber, which is like a small storage root. Each plant usually grows by itself.
It has one leaf that stands up straight. This leaf is about 5 to 16 centimetres long and 3 to 6 millimetres wide. It is pale green and often has reddish-purple spots near its base.
The plant can have up to three flowers. These flowers are greenish to creamy white and are about 5 to 8 centimetres wide. They grow on a stalk that is 12 to 21 centimetres tall.
The sepals and petals of the flower suddenly become very narrow. They end in a brownish-black, thread-like tip. This tip is covered in tiny glands. The top sepal stands up straight at first, then curves forward. It is about 4 to 7 centimetres long. The side sepals and petals are similar in size. They spread out from each other, then curve downwards.
The labellum (the orchid's special lip) is about 7 to 10 millimetres long and 5 to 8 millimetres wide. It is creamy-white to pale yellow. It has red lines and spots. The sides of the labellum have short, blunt teeth. In the middle of the labellum, there are two rows of cream-coloured bumps called calli. These calli are shaped like tiny anvils.
This orchid usually blooms from September to October.
How It Got Its Name
The Caladenia validinervia was first officially described in 2015. This was done by two scientists, Andrew Brown and Garry Brockman. They based their description on earlier notes by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown.
The first plant used for the description was found near Muirs Highway. The description was published in a science journal called Nuytsia.
The name validinervia comes from two Latin words. Validus means "strong" or "powerful." Nervus means "sinew" or "tendon." This name refers to the clear red stripes on the flower parts. These stripes look like strong veins or nerves.
Where It Lives
The Lake Muir spider orchid is only found in a small area of Western Australia. This area is between Rocky Gully, which is on Muirs Highway, and Collie.
It grows in Jarrah Forests. These are woodlands where jarrah trees and marri trees grow.
Protecting This Orchid
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given Caladenia validinervia a special classification. It is called "Priority One" flora.
This means that the orchid is known from only a few places. These places could be at risk. So, it is very important to protect these areas to help the orchid survive.
