Small helmet orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small helmet orchid |
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The Corybas unguiculatus, also known as the small helmet orchid or pelicans, is a special type of orchid. It grows only in south-eastern Australia.
This small orchid is quite common in some areas. It has just one leaf and a single flower. The flower can be reddish purple or reddish black.
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What Does the Small Helmet Orchid Look Like?
The small helmet orchid is a plant that grows in the ground. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so its leaves fall off each year.
Each plant has one leaf that can be shaped like an egg, a heart, or a circle. This leaf is usually 5 to 30 mm (0.2 to 1.2 in) long and 10 to 20 mm (0.4 to 0.8 in) wide. The top of the leaf is greyish green, and the bottom is reddish.
The orchid has a single flower that hangs downwards. It is about 12 to 15 mm (0.5 to 0.6 in) long and can be reddish purple or reddish black. The flower stem is 10 to 20 mm (0.4 to 0.8 in) long.
One part of the flower, called the labellum, is about 15 mm (0.6 in) long. It is completely purple and shaped like a tube. The opening of this tube points downwards and forwards. The labellum also has a few tiny teeth along its edge.
You can see these orchids flowering from May to August.
How Was This Orchid Named?
The small helmet orchid was first officially described in 1810. A botanist named Robert Brown gave it the name Corysanthes unguiculata. He wrote about it in his book, Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.
Later, in 1871, another botanist, Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach, changed its name to Corybas unguiculatus. The word unguiculatus comes from Latin and means "hooved."
Where Does the Small Helmet Orchid Live?
Corybas unguiculatus is found in many places and is sometimes common. It likes to grow in heathlands and forests that have heath-like plants.
You can find this orchid in New South Wales, south of Gosford. It also grows in southern Victoria, the far south-east of South Australia, and throughout Tasmania.
Protecting the Small Helmet Orchid
Even though this orchid is common in some states, it is listed as "rare" in South Australia. This means there are not many of them left there.
The main dangers to this orchid in South Australia are:
- Losing its natural home (habitat).
- Slugs and snails eating the plants.
- Weeds growing and taking over its space.
