Sand beard orchid facts for kids

The sand beard orchid (scientific name: Calochilus ammobius) is a special type of orchid. It's only found in Queensland, Australia. This orchid has a single leaf, but you won't see it when the plant is blooming. It grows up to three dull green flowers. These flowers have reddish-brown stripes and a unique part called a labellum. This labellum looks like it has a purple "beard"!

What Does the Sand Beard Orchid Look Like?

The sand beard orchid is a plant that grows on land. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, which means its leaf falls off at certain times. This plant is a herb with a special underground storage part called a tuber.

It has one leaf that is about 70–140 mm (3–6 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. However, this leaf is not there when the plant is flowering.

The Flowers of the Sand Beard Orchid

The orchid produces up to three flowers on a thin, wiry stem. This stem grows to be about 70–140 mm (3–6 in) tall. The flowers are dull green with reddish-brown streaks. They are small, about 11–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long and 8–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide.

Each flower has different parts:

• The top part, called the dorsal sepal, is about 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 4 mm (0.2 in) wide.
• The side sepals are similar in length but a bit narrower.
• The petals are about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and 1.5 mm (0.06 in) wide.
• The labellum is flat and has pale green and red colors. It's about 9 mm (0.4 in) long and 4 mm (0.2 in) wide. About three-quarters of the labellum is covered in purplish hairs, which gives it a "beard" look.
• The column (a central part of the flower) has two purple spots that look like "eyes."

These flowers are short-lived, meaning they don't last very long. Each flower only stays open for a few hours.

When Does it Flower?

The sand beard orchid usually flowers between December and February.

How the Sand Beard Orchid Got its Name

The scientific name for this orchid is Calochilus ammobius. It was first officially described in 2002. Two botanists, David Jones and Bruce Gray, gave it this name. They published their description in a magazine called The Orchadian. They found the first samples of this orchid near a place called Chewko.

The second part of its scientific name, ammobius, comes from two Ancient Greek words:

• Ammos means "sand."
• Bios means "life."

So, "ammobius" basically means "sand-living," which fits where this orchid grows!

Where Does the Sand Beard Orchid Live?

The sand beard orchid grows in low forests. It likes to live among Melaleuca viridiflora trees, shrubs, and clumps of grass called tussocks. It has only been found in a small area near where the first samples were collected.