Inland spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Inland spider orchid |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
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| Species: |
interanea
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| Synonyms | |
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Arachnorchis interanea D.L.Jones |
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The Inland spider orchid (Caladenia interanea) is a special type of orchid found only in the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. It grows from the ground and has a single fuzzy leaf. Its flower is green with cool dark red stripes.
What it Looks Like
The Inland spider orchid is a plant that lives for many years. It grows from an underground tuber (like a small potato). It loses its leaves in some seasons, but comes back each year. This type of plant is called a perennial herb.
It has one hairy leaf, which is about 4 to 18 cm (1.5 to 7 inches) long. The leaf is also about 0.5 to 1.2 cm (0.2 to 0.5 inches) wide.
A single green flower grows on a thin stem. This stem can be quite tall, from 16 to 65 cm (6 to 25 inches) high. The flower has dark red stripes.
Flower Parts
The flower has parts called sepals. These sepals have thin, brown tips that are like tiny glands. These tips are about 4 to 10 mm (0.15 to 0.4 inches) long.
The top sepal, called the dorsal sepal, stands up straight or bends forward. It is about 3.5 to 5 cm (1.4 to 2 inches) long. The two side sepals, called lateral sepals, curve downwards. They are about 3 to 4 cm (1.2 to 1.6 inches) long.
The petals of the flower are about 2.4 to 3.3 cm (0.9 to 1.3 inches) long. They are thin, about 2 mm (0.08 inches) wide, and also curve downwards.
The labellum is a special lip-like part of the orchid flower. It is about 1.4 to 1.7 cm (0.5 to 0.7 inches) long and 1.7 to 2 cm (0.7 to 0.8 inches) wide. It is green with a dark maroon tip that curls underneath.
The labellum has small, thin green "teeth" on its sides. There are usually two to four pairs of these teeth, and they can be up to 8 mm (0.3 inches) long. It also has four rows of small bumps, called calli, along its middle. These calli can be up to 5 mm (0.2 inches) long.
This orchid usually blooms between August and October.
How it Got its Name
The Inland spider orchid was first officially described in 2005. A botanist named David Jones gave it the name Arachnorchis interanea. He wrote about it in a magazine called The Orchadian. The plant he studied was found in the Gawler Ranges.
Later, in 2008, another botanist named Robert Bates changed its name to Caladenia interanea.
The second part of its name, interanea, comes from a Latin word. It means "inward," "interior," or "internal."
Where it Lives
The Inland spider orchid is found in the Eyre Peninsula region of South Australia. It especially likes to grow in rocky areas, such as the Gawler Ranges.
