Corybas confusus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spider orchid |
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Corybas confusus, often called the spider orchid, is a special type of orchid found only in New Zealand. It's a plant that grows on the ground. This unique orchid has one heart-shaped leaf. Its flower is usually dark or light green with reddish streaks. It also has long, thin parts that look like threads. You can find it growing in the mountains on both the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
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What Does the Spider Orchid Look Like?
The spider orchid is a plant that lives for many years. It grows from the ground and loses its leaves in certain seasons. Each plant has a single leaf that is shaped like a heart or is almost round. This leaf is about 9.5–19 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long and 11–21.5 mm (0.4–0.8 in) wide. It sits on a stalk called a petiole, which can be 3–31.5 mm (0.1–1 in) long.
The Unique Flower
Each spider orchid plant grows one upright flower. The flower can be dark green or light green. It often has reddish-maroon lines and spots. The flower stands about 12–30 mm (0.5–1 in) tall. The biggest part of the flower is the top sepal, which curves over like a hood. This hood partly covers the labellum, which is the orchid's special lip.
Thread-like Parts
The side sepals of the flower are very thin and look like threads. They can be whitish or reddish and are quite long, about 13–46 mm (0.5–2 in). The petals are also thread-like, even longer than the sepals, reaching 27–75 mm (1–3 in). The labellum (the lip) is dark red with a pale green or yellowish center. It's about 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide and folds in half, creating a groove. These orchids usually bloom from October to December.
How Was This Orchid Named?
The spider orchid, Corybas confusus, was officially named in 2016. It was described by a scientist named Carlos Adolfo Lehnebach. He found a sample of the plant near Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes National Park. The description was then published in a science journal called Phytotaxa.
Why the Name "Confusus"?
The second part of its scientific name, confusus, means "confused" or "mixed up." This name was chosen because the flowers of this orchid look very similar to another orchid called C. obscurus. Also, its leaf looks a lot like the leaves of C. macranthus and C. orbiculatus. So, it can be a bit confusing to tell them apart!
Where Does the Spider Orchid Live?
This unique spider orchid grows in high places, usually between 1,000 and 1,100 m (3,000 and 4,000 ft) above sea level. You can find it living in the layer of fallen leaves on the forest floor. It often grows in forests with southern beech trees. It also likes to grow in areas with scrub or in clumps of tussock grass.
Its Home in New Zealand
The spider orchid is found on both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. There's also a chance it might grow on Chatham Island, which is a bit further east.
Is the Spider Orchid Endangered?
The New Zealand Government's Department of Conservation uses a special system to classify how threatened plants and animals are. According to their Threat Classification System, Corybas confusus is currently classified as "not threatened." This means it's not in danger of disappearing right now, which is good news!
