Crinkle-leaved bunny orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crinkle-leaved bunny orchid |
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| Eriochilus dilatatus undulatus growing in Swan View | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Eriochilus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
E. d. subsp. undulatus
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| Trinomial name | |
| Eriochilus dilatatus subsp. undulatus Hopper & A.P.Br.
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The Crinkle-leaved bunny orchid (scientific name: Eriochilus dilatatus subsp. undulatus) is a unique plant from the orchid family. It's special because it grows only in Western Australia. This orchid is quite common in the wheatbelt region. It has a single, narrow, egg-shaped leaf with wavy edges and a maroon (dark reddish-purple) underside. Its flowers are dull green, red, and white, and usually up to three of them grow on a thin stem.
What Does It Look Like?
The Crinkle-leaved bunny orchid is a plant that grows from an underground part called a tuber. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years, and it's deciduous, so its leaves might fall off at certain times. It has one narrow, egg-shaped leaf that is about 15 to 20 millimeters (about 0.6 to 0.8 inches) long and 2 to 7 millimeters (about 0.08 to 0.28 inches) wide. The edges of the leaf are wavy, and its underside is a pale maroon color with green lines.
Up to three flowers grow on a thin, green stem that is about 100 to 200 millimeters (about 4 to 8 inches) tall. Each flower is about 10 to 15 millimeters (about 0.4 to 0.6 inches) long and 9 to 14 millimeters (about 0.35 to 0.55 inches) wide. The flowers are mostly greenish with red or purple spots. The side parts of the flower, called sepals, are white. The special lip-shaped part of the flower, called the labellum, has three sections. It also has small groups of pale cream and maroon hairs. These orchids usually bloom in April and May. Interestingly, fires do not make them bloom.
How It Got Its Name
The Crinkle-leaved bunny orchid, Eriochilus dilatatus subsp. undulatus, was officially described in 2006. This means scientists gave it its formal name. It was described by two scientists, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown. They found a sample of the plant in the Wongan Hills. Their description was published in a scientific journal called Nuytsia.
The last part of its scientific name, undulatus, is a Latin word. It means "wavy." This name was chosen because the edges of the orchid's leaves are wavy, especially when the plant is flowering.
Where Does It Grow?
The Crinkle-leaved bunny orchid is found in many different places across Western Australia. It grows in various habitats, from woodlands to rocky areas like granite outcrops. You can find it from Northampton in the north, all the way down to near Esperance in the south. It also grows inland as far as Mullewa. It is a very common and widespread orchid in these areas.
Is It Protected?
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the Crinkle-leaved bunny orchid. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means that currently, there are plenty of these orchids, and they are not in danger of disappearing.
