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Giant donkey orchid facts for kids

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Giant donkey orchid
Scientific classification
Genus:
Diuris
Species:
amplissima

The Giant Donkey Orchid (scientific name: Diuris amplissima) is a special type of orchid. It's called a 'donkey orchid' because its flowers look a bit like a donkey's ears! This beautiful flower grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. When a plant or animal lives only in one specific place, it's called endemic.

This orchid is quite rare. It's also the biggest type of Diuris orchid found in Western Australia. The plant usually has two or three leaves at its base. It grows a tall stem with up to seven flowers. These flowers are a mix of purple and dull yellowish-brown colors.

What Does the Giant Donkey Orchid Look Like?

The Giant Donkey Orchid is a plant that grows from a tuber. A tuber is like a small, round storage part underground, similar to a potato. This plant is also a perennial herb, which means it lives for many years and its stems are soft, not woody.

It usually grows to be about 40 to 90 centimeters (16 to 35 inches) tall. At the bottom of the plant, there are two or three leaves. Each leaf is about 10 to 22 cm (4 to 9 in) long and 1 to 2 cm (0.4 to 0.8 in) wide.

The Flowers

The Giant Donkey Orchid has between three and seven flowers on its stem. Each flower is about 4 to 6 cm (1.6 to 2.4 in) long and 3.5 to 4.5 cm (1.4 to 1.8 in) wide. They are purple and dull yellowish-brown.

Orchid flowers have special parts:

  • The dorsal sepal is the top part of the flower. It stands upright and is shaped like an oval or kidney, wider than it is long.
  • The lateral sepals are two parts that hang downwards. They are long and narrow, often parallel to each other, and green with purple marks.
  • The petals are the two side parts that stand mostly upright. They are oval-shaped.
  • The labellum is the special lower lip of the orchid flower. It has three parts, called lobes. The middle lobe is wedge-shaped, and the side lobes are egg-shaped with wavy edges.

There's also a small ridge called a callus at the base of the labellum. The Giant Donkey Orchid flowers bloom from September to November each year.

How Was it Named?

The Giant Donkey Orchid was first officially described in 1991. A botanist named David Jones gave it its scientific name, Diuris amplissima. He described it from a plant he found near a place called Moodiarrup.

The word amplissima comes from Latin and means "largest." This name was chosen because of the orchid's "impressive flowers," which are quite big for a Diuris orchid.

Where Does the Giant Donkey Orchid Live?

This rare orchid grows in woodlands and forests. You can find it in areas between Porongurup and Capel in Western Australia. These areas include the Avon Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest, and Mallee regions.

The Giant Donkey Orchid is similar to another orchid called D. magnifica. However, the Giant Donkey Orchid prefers to grow in heavier soils, while D. magnifica likes sandy areas.

Conservation Status

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Diuris amplissima as "not threatened." This means that, for now, it is not considered to be in danger of disappearing.

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