Hardwicke spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hardwicke spider orchid |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
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| Species: |
intuta
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| Synonyms | |
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Arachnorchis intuta D.L.Jones |
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The Hardwicke spider orchid (scientific name: Caladenia intuta) is a special kind of plant from the orchid family. It grows only in two small areas on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. This orchid is a ground plant with a single hairy leaf. It usually has one or two white flowers, which sometimes show faint reddish lines.
What Does It Look Like?
The Caladenia intuta is a plant that grows from the ground. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so it loses its leaves at certain times. This plant is a herb, which means it does not have a woody stem. It grows from an underground tuber, which is like a storage part, similar to a potato.
It has one narrow, lance-shaped leaf. This leaf is about 8 to 15 centimeters (3 to 6 inches) long and 0.5 to 1.1 centimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide. You might see purple spots near the bottom of the leaf. Both the leaf and the stem that holds the flowers are covered with many hairs.
The orchid usually has one or two white flowers. Sometimes, these flowers have light reddish lines. Each flower is about 4.5 to 6.5 centimeters (1.8 to 2.6 inches) wide. They grow on a thin, strong stem that is about 10 to 35 centimeters (4 to 14 inches) tall.
The flower parts called sepals have thin, dark tips. The top sepal, called the dorsal sepal, is about 3.2 to 4 centimeters (1.3 to 1.6 inches) long. The two side sepals, called lateral sepals, are also about 3.2 to 4 centimeters long. They spread out stiffly from each other. The petals are about 2.7 to 3.5 centimeters (1.1 to 1.4 inches) long and also spread out stiffly.
The labellum is a special lip-shaped petal on the orchid. It is shaped like a spear or an egg, about 1.3 to 1.6 centimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long. The edges of the labellum have many short, white or purplish teeth. The very tip of the labellum curls downwards. There are also four rows of white or purplish bumps, called calli, that look like hockey sticks along the middle of the labellum. These orchids usually bloom from August to September.
How It Was Named
The Hardwicke spider orchid was first officially described in 2005 by a botanist named David Jones. He first gave it the name Arachnorchis intuta. He wrote about it in a publication called The Orchadian, after finding a sample of the plant near Hardwicke Bay. Before this, people knew it as Caladenia sp. "Brentwood". Later, in 2008, another botanist, Robert Bates, changed its name to Caladenia intuta, which is its current scientific name.
Where It Lives
This spider orchid is very rare. It is only found in two places. In 2006, experts estimated that there were only about 400 adult plants living in these areas. They grow in woodland habitats.
Why It Needs Protection
The Caladenia intuta is listed as "Critically Endangered." This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever. This classification is under a law called the Commonwealth Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act.
The main dangers to this orchid are:
- Weed invasion: Other plants, called weeds, grow too much and take over the orchid's space and resources.
- Grazing by sheep: Sheep eat the orchid plants, which harms their numbers.
- Vegetation clearance: People clearing land for other uses destroys the orchid's habitat.
