Common bee orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common bee orchid |
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| Diuris decrementa growing in the Orchid Conservation Reserve near Tenterden | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Diuris
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| Species: |
decrementa
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The Diuris decrementa, often called the common bee orchid, is a special type of orchid. It only grows in the south-west part of Western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area.
It looks a bit like another orchid called the bee orchid (Diuris laxiflora). However, the common bee orchid has smaller flowers. Its flowering stem is also shorter.
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What Does the Common Bee Orchid Look Like?
The common bee orchid is a tuberous plant. This means it grows from a swollen underground stem, like a potato. It is also a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years and has soft stems.
This plant usually grows to be about 8 to 30 centimetres (3 to 12 inches) tall. It has two to five leaves that grow from its base. Each leaf is about 5 to 12 centimetres (2 to 5 inches) long and 1 to 2 millimetres (less than an inch) wide.
Flowers of the Common Bee Orchid
The common bee orchid can have up to three flowers. These flowers are yellow with brown blotches. They are quite small, about 8 to 12 millimetres (0.3 to 0.5 inches) wide.
The flowers have wide, ear-shaped petals. They also have an upright, pointed sepal at the top (called the dorsal sepal). Two narrow sepals point forward from the sides (these are the lateral sepals).
The flower's special lip, called the labellum, has three parts. The two side parts are small and spread out. The middle part is longer and has a raised line down its middle. You can see these beautiful flowers from late August to early November.
How the Common Bee Orchid Got Its Name
The Diuris decrementa was first officially described in 2013. Two botanists, David Jones and Christopher French, wrote about it. Their description was published in a magazine called Australian Orchid Review.
The second part of its scientific name, decrementa, comes from a Latin word. Decrementum means "lessening" or "making smaller." This name was chosen because the common bee orchid has smaller flowers and a shorter stem compared to similar orchids.
Where Does the Common Bee Orchid Grow?
You can find the common bee orchid in many different places. It grows from areas near Perth all the way to the east of Esperance.
It likes to grow in various habitats. These include woodlands and even small pockets of soil on large granite rocks.
Is the Common Bee Orchid Protected?
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the common bee orchid. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means that currently, there are enough of these orchids, and they are not in danger of disappearing.
