Dainty spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dainty spider orchid |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
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| Species: |
ampla
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The Dainty Spider Orchid (scientific name: Caladenia ampla) is a special type of orchid plant. It gets its name because its petals and sepals look a bit like a spider's legs. This beautiful flower is only found in Victoria, Australia. It grows from the ground and has a single hairy leaf. Its flowers can be yellowish-green with red stripes, or sometimes they are completely red.
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What the Dainty Spider Orchid Looks Like
The Dainty Spider Orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times. This plant has an underground storage part called a tuber. It also has one hairy leaf. This leaf is usually 6–10 cm (2–4 in) long and 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide.
Flower Details
Each plant usually grows one flower, but sometimes two. This flower grows on a stem up to 22 cm (9 in) tall. The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, stands upright. It is 30–37 mm (1.2–1.5 in) long and about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide. It has a special tip that is 6.5–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long.
The two side sepals are also 30–37 mm (1.2–1.5 in) long. They are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide. Like the top sepal, they also have a special tip. The petals of the flower are 28–32 mm (1.1–1.3 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide. They become narrow towards their ends.
The most interesting part is the labellum, which is the orchid's "lip." It is shaped like a wide egg and curves forward. It measures 14–16 mm (0.55–0.63 in) long and 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) wide. The labellum is usually cream-coloured with red lines. It has a dark red tip. Sometimes, the whole labellum can be red.
Along the edges of the labellum, there are 9 to 12 pairs of small bumps called calli. These calli get smaller towards the front of the labellum. In the middle of the labellum, there are four rows of foot-shaped calli. These also get smaller towards the tip. This orchid blooms in September and October.
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How the Orchid Got its Name
This orchid was first officially described in 2006 by a botanist named David L. Jones. He first named it Arachnorchis ampla. This description was published in a research paper called Australian Orchid Research.
Then, in 2007, another person named Gary Backhouse changed its name to Caladenia ampla. This change was published in "The Victorian Naturalist." The second part of its scientific name, ampla, is a Latin word. It means "large." This name was chosen because this orchid has a very wide labellum, or "lip," compared to other orchids.
Where the Dainty Spider Orchid Lives
The Dainty Spider Orchid is only found in a specific area of Victoria. This area is known as the goldfields region of Victoria. It likes to grow in places with mallee scrub and woodlands. These are types of forests and bushy areas.
Protecting the Dainty Spider Orchid
The Dainty Spider Orchid is a very rare plant. The government of Victoria has listed it as "Endangered." This means that there are very few of these orchids left in the wild. It is important to protect them so they don't disappear forever.
