Summer fingers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Summer fingers |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Caladenia vulgaris growing near Belgrave | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
|
| Species: |
vulgaris
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Petalochilus vulgaris (D.L.Jones) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. |
|
Caladenia vulgaris, often called summer fingers or slender pink-fingers, is a special type of orchid. It grows naturally only in southern Australia. This plant has a single, long, hairy leaf that stands up straight, and it produces one or two pretty pink or whitish flowers.
Contents
What Does the Summer Fingers Orchid Look Like?
The summer fingers orchid is a plant that grows from an underground tuber, which is like a small, round storage organ. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so it loses its leaves at certain times of the year. These orchids usually grow by themselves.
Each plant has one dark green, hairy leaf. This leaf is quite long, about 15 to 27 centimeters (6 to 11 inches) long and 2 to 3 millimeters wide. The bottom part of the leaf is often red.
The plant produces one or two flowers on a stalk that stands 15 to 36 centimeters (6 to 14 inches) tall. These flowers are usually a dull pink or white and are about 12 millimeters wide. The back of the flowers are fuzzy and have pinkish colors with brown stripes.
Flower Parts
Orchids have unique flower parts:
- The dorsal sepal is a part of the flower that curves forward over the center. It's about 10 to 15 millimeters long.
- The lateral sepals are two other parts that are slightly curved and joined at their bases. They are 10 to 18 millimeters long.
- The petals are the colorful parts that spread out wide. They are 10 to 17 millimeters long.
- The labellum is a special lip-like petal. It's about 5 to 7 millimeters long and 5 to 8 millimeters wide. It can be white or pink with thin red lines and a yellow tip. The sides of the labellum stand up and surround the central part of the flower. The middle part has 8 to 10 small teeth along its edges. The tip of the labellum curves slightly downwards.
- There are also two rows of yellow or orange calli (small bumps) along the middle of the labellum.
Summer fingers orchids usually bloom from October to January. Some of these flowers can even pollinate themselves without fully opening.
How Did Summer Fingers Get Its Name?
The Caladenia vulgaris orchid was first officially described in 1998 by a botanist named David Jones. He found a sample of the plant near a place called Glencoe.
The scientific name vulgaris comes from a Latin word. It means "common" or "commonplace." So, its name basically means "common Caladenia."
Where Do Summer Fingers Grow?
Summer fingers orchids are found in three states in southern Australia: Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania.
In Victoria and South Australia, you can find them growing in wet, open areas called heathlands. In Tasmania, they also grow in moist forests and even in rainforests.
