Banded helmet orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Banded helmet orchid |
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The banded helmet orchid, also called the swamp helmet orchid, is a special type of orchid found only in south-eastern Australia. It grows in the ground, not on other plants. This orchid has a leaf shaped like an egg or a heart. Its flower is reddish to reddish-purple and leans forward. It looks a bit like another orchid, C. unguiculatis, but that one doesn't live in swamps and has a different kind of lip (called a labellum).
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About the Banded Helmet Orchid
The banded helmet orchid, known scientifically as Corybas fordhamii, is a ground-dwelling plant. It is also a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's a deciduous plant, which means its leaves fall off at certain times of the year. It's also a herb, so it has soft stems, not woody ones like trees.
What Does It Look Like?
Each orchid has a single leaf that is shaped like an egg or a heart. This leaf is about 22 to 38 millimeters (about 1 to 1.5 inches) long and 17 to 30 millimeters (about 0.7 to 1.2 inches) wide. The top of the leaf is green, and the bottom is a bluish-green color.
The orchid grows a single flower that is reddish to reddish-purple. This flower is about 12 to 14 millimeters (about 0.5 inches) long and leans forward on its stalk. The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, is spoon-shaped. It is about 11 to 13 millimeters long and 4.5 to 6 millimeters wide.
The side parts of the flower, called the lateral sepals, are narrow and white. They are about 7 millimeters long. The petals are similar to the lateral sepals but are only half their length. The most interesting part is the labellum, which is like the orchid's lip. It is about 14 millimeters long, a little shorter than the dorsal sepal. This labellum has cool red and white streaks and many short red bristles around its edge. These orchids usually bloom from July to October.
How It Got Its Name
The banded helmet orchid was first officially described in 1941. A scientist named Herman Rupp gave it the name Corysanthes fordhamii. He published his description in a science magazine called The Victorian Naturalist. The first plant used for this description was found at Brunswick Heads.
In 1942, Rupp changed the name slightly to Corybas fordhamii. The second part of its name, fordhamii, was chosen to honor "Mr. F. [Fred] Fordham." Mr. Fordham was from Brunswick Heads and did a lot of great work collecting and finding orchids in that area.
Where It Lives
The Corybas fordhamii orchid likes to grow in thick, bushy heathlands and swamps. You can often find it growing near a plant called Melaleuca squarrosa. It's not an easy orchid to find, so it's not collected very often.
You can find this orchid along the coast of New South Wales, Victoria, and south-eastern South Australia. It also grows on Flinders Island. Sadly, it used to be found at Burleigh Heads in Queensland, but it no longer grows there.
Protecting This Orchid
This special helmet orchid is listed as "endangered" in Tasmania. This means it is at a high risk of disappearing forever. The main reasons why this orchid is in danger are:
- Its habitat (the place where it lives) is being cleared away.
- Fires are happening too often or not enough, which can hurt the plants.
- The soil is eroding, meaning it's washing away.
- Weeds are invading its living areas and taking over.
