Golden cowslips facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden cowslips |
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| Diuris behrii growing near Smythesdale | |
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Diuris
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behrii
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Diuris behrii, commonly known as golden cowslips, is a special type of orchid found only in eastern Australia. This means it is endemic to this area. You can find it growing in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory. This beautiful plant has between three and six long, grass-like leaves. Its flowering stem holds up to four bright yellow flowers. These flowers often have dark streaks on their lower lip, which is called the labellum. Golden cowslip flowers usually appear between September and November.
What Do Golden Cowslips Look Like?
The golden cowslip orchid grows from a tuber. A tuber is a swollen underground stem, like a potato, that stores food. This plant is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years and has soft, green stems. It has three to six narrow, grass-like leaves. These leaves can grow up to 200 mm (8 in) long.
Up to four bright yellow flowers grow on a stem that can reach 500 mm (20 in) tall. Each flower's stalk is covered by a small leaf-like part called a bract. The top petal, called the dorsal sepal, is egg-shaped and up to 17 mm (0.7 in) long. It leans forward and has dark streaks, just like the labellum.
The two lower petals, called the lateral sepals, are greenish and shaped like a spear. They can be up to 25 mm (1 in) long. These sepals point downwards and stay parallel to each other. The side petals spread out or droop. They are narrow and egg-shaped, up to 25 mm (1 in) long. Each side petal sits on a green, stalk-like part.
The labellum (the lower lip of the flower) can be up to 28 mm (1 in) long. It often has brownish streaks. The labellum has three main parts, called lobes. The middle lobe is wide and wedge-shaped, often with uneven edges. The two side lobes are small and oblong, with edges that look like tiny teeth. There are also two raised ridges, called calli, about 5 mm (0.2 in) long near the center of the labellum. These orchids bloom from September to November.
How Did Golden Cowslips Get Their Name?
The scientific name for this orchid, Diuris behrii, was first officially written down in 1847. This was done by a scientist named Diederich Franz Leonhard von Schlechtendal. He published his description in a journal called Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde.
The second part of the name, behrii, is a special specific epithet. It was chosen to honor a German-American botanist named Hans Hermann Behr. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants.
Where Do Golden Cowslips Grow?
The golden cowslip orchid likes to grow in grasslands and woodlands. You can find it mostly in western Victoria, Australia. It also grows in the southeastern part of South Australia. In New South Wales, it is found on the slopes and tablelands, which are flat areas of land. This includes the Australian Capital Territory.
