Frankston spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Frankston spider orchid |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
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| Species: |
robinsonii
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| Synonyms | |
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Arachnorchis robinsonii (G.W.Carr) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. |
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The Frankston spider orchid (Caladenia robinsonii) is a special type of plant from the orchid family. It is only found in Victoria, Australia. This ground orchid has a single hairy leaf. Its flowers are red and creamy-yellow. They have dark red, sticky tips on their sepals. In 2010, only about forty of these plants were known. They all grew in one small area.
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What the Frankston Spider Orchid Looks Like
The Frankston spider orchid is a ground plant. It is a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so it loses its leaves each year. This orchid grows from an underground tuber (a swollen stem that stores food).
A new shoot grows from the tuber every year in early autumn. This shoot produces a single hairy leaf in May. The leaf is about 80 to 100 millimeters (3 to 4 inches) long. It is also about 8 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide.
In September or October, one or two flowers appear. These flowers are red and creamy-yellow. They are about 30 to 40 millimeters (1.2 to 1.6 inches) across. They grow on a hairy stem that is 200 to 300 millimeters (8 to 12 inches) tall.
The sepals (outer parts of the flower) have thick, red, sticky tips. These tips are 5 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long. The top sepal stands up straight at its base. Then it gently curves forward. It is about 25 to 35 millimeters (1 to 1.4 inches) long. The side sepals are similar in size and spread out wide.
The petals are 20 to 30 millimeters (0.8 to 1.2 inches) long. They are about 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide. They are arranged like the side sepals. The labellum (the orchid's special lip petal) is 12 to 14 millimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long. It is 7 to 11 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. It is creamy yellow with a dark red tip. The sides of the labellum have many short red teeth. The tip of the labellum curves downwards. There are four or six rows of shiny red bumps called calli along the middle of the labellum. The orchid flowers in September and October.
How the Frankston Spider Orchid Got Its Name
The Frankston spider orchid was first officially described in 1991. It was named by a scientist named Geoffrey Carr. He found the plant in Frankston North. His description was published in a paper called Indigenous Flora and Fauna Association Miscellaneous Paper.
Where the Frankston Spider Orchid Lives
The Frankston spider orchid grows in a special type of forest. This forest has coast manna gum trees. It is found on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. The area is known as heathy woodland.
Ecology and Life Cycle
The flowers of the Frankston spider orchid release a special smell. This smell copies the pheromones (chemical signals) of a female thynnid wasp. Male wasps are attracted to this smell. They try to mate with the flower, and in doing so, they help to pollinate it.
The orchid also has a special symbiotic relationship with a mycorrhizal fungus. This means they help each other. The fungus helps the orchid absorb important nutrients from the soil.
Protecting the Frankston Spider Orchid
The first group of Frankston spider orchids found by Geoffrey Carr was lost. This happened in the 1990s when the land was used for housing. However, a second group of these orchids was found in Rosebud in 1990. This group had about 40 plants.
This second group faces some dangers. These include:
- Weeds growing and taking over.
- People accidentally stepping on the plants.
- Fires.
- Rabbits eating the plants.
In 2010, volunteers helped to plant 150 more orchids. They used seeds that were grown by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. These new plants were put into areas that had been restored.
