Swamp bunny orchid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Swamp bunny orchid
Scientific classification
Genus:	Eriochilus
Species:	helonomos

The swamp bunny orchid (Eriochilus helonomos) is a special kind of plant found only in Western Australia. It's part of the amazing orchid family. This orchid gets its name because its flowers can look a bit like a bunny's ears! It usually has one pointed leaf and a single white or cream-colored flower with reddish-brown spots. You'll often find these pretty orchids growing in wet, swampy areas. It's different from other bunny orchids because of how its petals are arranged.

What Does It Look Like?

The swamp bunny orchid is a plant that grows from an underground tuber (like a small potato). It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times.

• It has a single, smooth, egg-shaped leaf with a pointed tip. This leaf is about 7 to 17 mm (0.3 to 0.7 in) long and 2 to 10 mm (0.08 to 0.4 in) wide.
• Usually, there's just one flower, but sometimes you might see up to three.
• The flowers are white or cream-colored and about 10 mm (0.4 in) long and wide.
• They grow on a stem that is 50 to 150 mm (2 to 6 in) tall.
• The top part of the flower (called the dorsal sepal) is 6 to 8 mm (0.2 to 0.3 in) long.
• The side sepals are longer, about 7 to 15 mm (0.3 to 0.6 in) long, and have pink marks underneath.
• The petals have brownish-red edges and are 6 to 10 mm (0.2 to 0.4 in) long.
• Unlike other orchids in its genus, the petals of the swamp bunny orchid are pressed close to the sides of the column (the central part of the flower).
• The labellum (a special lip-like petal) is 6 to 9 mm (0.2 to 0.4 in) long and curves downwards. It has scattered groups of dark red and white hairs.
• You can see these orchids flowering from April to July.

How It Was Named

Discovery and Naming

The swamp bunny orchid was officially described in 2006 by two scientists, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown. They found a sample of the plant near a town called Denmark. Their description was published in a science journal called Nuytsia.

What Its Name Means

The second part of its scientific name, helonomos, comes from an Ancient Greek word. This word means "living in marshes." This name fits perfectly because the swamp bunny orchid usually grows in wet, marshy places!

Where It Lives

The swamp bunny orchid loves to grow in wet, swampy areas. You can also find it in places where water seeps out from granite rocks. This orchid is found along the coast of Western Australia, from Dongara in the north down to Cape Riche in the south.