Ghostly beard orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ghostly beard orchid |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Calochilus
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| Species: |
holtzei
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The Calochilus holtzei, also known as the ghostly beard orchid, is a special type of orchid. You can only find it in northwestern Australia. This unique plant has one leaf and can grow up to twenty pale green or yellowish flowers. These flowers have red marks and a special part called a labellum that looks like a greenish "beard."
The Ghostly Beard Orchid
What It Looks Like
The ghostly beard orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It lives for many years and loses its leaves in some seasons. It has an underground tuber, which is like a small storage root. It also has a single leaf that is fully grown when the plant flowers. This leaf can be about 300–550 mm (10–20 in) long and 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) wide. It has a triangular shape when you look at it from the side.
The plant produces between eight and twenty flowers. These flowers are pale green to yellowish with red markings. Each flower is about 20–23 mm (0.8–0.9 in) long and 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) wide. They grow on a stem that can be 500–900 mm (20–40 in) tall.
The top petal, called the dorsal sepal, is about 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. The side petals, called lateral sepals, are similar in length but a bit narrower. The other petals are about 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long and 4 mm (0.2 in) wide.
The most interesting part is the labellum, which curves downwards. It is about 14–17 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long and 9–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) wide. The bottom part of the labellum has purple bumps called calli and two flat purple areas. The middle part has bristly, greenish-white hairs that can be up to 5 mm (0.2 in) long. There is also a narrow tip about 3 mm (0.1 in) long.
These orchids usually flower from December to March. However, each individual flower only lasts for two or three days.
How It Got Its Name
The ghostly beard orchid was officially described in 1892 by a scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He published his description in a journal called The Victorian Naturalist. The plants he studied were collected near Port Darwin by Maurice William Holtze.
The second part of the orchid's scientific name, holtzei, was chosen to honor Maurice William Holtze. He was the person who found the first plant specimen used for its scientific description. This first plant is called the type specimen.
Where It Lives
You can find the ghostly beard orchid growing among grasses in forests and woodlands. It lives in the northern Kimberley region of Western Australia. It also grows on Melville Island in the Northern Territory.
