Late beard orchid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Late beard orchid
Calochilus therophilus on Black Mountain in the A.C.T.
Scientific classification
Genus:	Calochilus
Species:	therophilus

The late beard orchid (Calochilus therophilus) is a special type of orchid. You can only find it growing naturally in eastern Australia. This plant has one dark green leaf that looks like a channel. The bottom of the leaf is reddish. It can grow up to fifteen dull green flowers. These flowers have cool, bold red stripes. The orchid's "lip" (called a labellum) has a dark purple beard. It also has two "eye" spots. What makes it different from other beard orchids is that there isn't a big bump between these eye spots.

What it Looks Like

The late beard orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times. This plant has an underground tuber, which is like a swollen stem that stores food.

It grows a single, thick, dark green leaf. This leaf is shaped like a channel or a narrow spear. It can be about 20 to 40 centimetres (8 to 16 inches) long. The leaf is also about 2 to 2.8 centimetres (0.8 to 1.1 inches) wide. Its base has a reddish-purple colour. The leaf is fully grown when the first flower starts to open.

The orchid grows a tall flowering stem. This stem can be anywhere from 20 to 95 centimetres (8 to 37 inches) tall. On this stem, you will find between three and fifteen flowers. These flowers are a dull greenish colour with bright red stripes.

Each flower has different parts:

• The top sepal (a leaf-like part) stands upright. It is about 1.1 to 1.4 centimetres (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long. It is also about 0.7 to 0.8 centimetres (0.3 inches) wide.
• The side sepals are similar in length but are a bit narrower.
• The petals are about 0.6 to 0.8 centimetres (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long. They are about 0.5 centimetres (0.2 inches) wide.
• The labellum (the orchid's lip) curves forward. It is about 1.9 to 2.2 centimetres (0.7 to 0.9 inches) long. It is also about 0.5 to 0.6 centimetres (0.2 inches) wide. Near its base, it has short, thick, purple bumps called calli.
• The middle part of the labellum has rough hairs. These hairs can be up to 0.8 centimetres (0.3 inches) long.
• The very tip of the labellum has a special "tail." This tail is about 0.4 to 0.6 centimetres (0.16 to 0.24 inches) long. It has tiny glands on it.
• The column (the central part of the flower) has two purple "eyes." These eyes are connected by a faint ridge.

This orchid usually flowers during the summer months, from December to March.

How it was Named

The late beard orchid, Calochilus therophilus, was officially described in 2006. This description was made by a botanist named David Jones. He published his findings in a scientific paper called Australian Orchid Research. The plant he studied was found on Black Mountain in the Australian Capital Territory.

The second part of its scientific name, therophilus, comes from two ancient Greek words:

• theros means "summer"
• philos means "loving"

So, therophilus means "summer-loving." This name was chosen because this orchid flowers during the summer.

Where it Lives

The late beard orchid grows in open forests. You can also find it growing among grasses and shrubs on mountain slopes. It lives in several parts of eastern Australia, including:

• Central eastern Queensland
• Eastern New South Wales
• The Australian Capital Territory
• North-eastern Victoria