Little white spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little white spider orchid |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Caladenia |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
C. l. subsp. minima
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Caladenia longicauda subsp. minima A.P.Br. & G.Brockman
|
|
The Caladenia longicauda subsp. minima, also known as the little white spider orchid, is a special plant from the orchid family. It grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This orchid has one fuzzy leaf and usually up to three mostly white flowers. These flowers have long, hanging parts that look a bit like spider legs. It's a pretty rare orchid and looks a lot like another type called the daddy-long-legs spider orchid. However, the little white spider orchid has smaller flowers and is found more towards the east.
Contents
What the Little White Spider Orchid Looks Like
The little white spider orchid is a ground-dwelling plant that lives for many years. It's a deciduous herb, which means it dies back each year but grows again from an underground tuber (like a potato). These orchids usually grow by themselves.
Each plant has one hairy leaf that is about 100–120 mm (4–5 in) long and 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) wide. It can have up to three mostly white flowers. These flowers are about 80–100 mm (3–4 in) long and 80–90 mm (3–4 in) wide. They grow on a stem that stands 170–300 mm (7–10 in) tall.
The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, stands up straight and is about 50–70 mm (2–3 in) long. The side parts, called lateral sepals, are 60–80 mm (2–3 in) long. The petals are 50–60 mm (2.0–2.4 in) long. Both the lateral sepals and petals are narrow at the bottom, then suddenly become very thin and droop downwards, looking like spider legs.
The labellum (the orchid's special lip) is white, about 13–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. It has narrow teeth along its sides, up to 5 mm (0.2 in) long. In the middle of the labellum, there are usually four rows of small, pale red bumps called calli, which are about 2 mm (0.08 in) long.
This orchid blooms from late July to August. It's most similar to another type of spider orchid, but its flowers are smaller, and it grows further east.
How the Little White Spider Orchid Got Its Name
The Caladenia longicauda orchid was first officially described by a botanist named John Lindley in 1840. Later, in 2001, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown studied it more and found many different types, called subspecies. In 2015, Andrew Brown and Garry Brockman described three more subspecies, including this one, the minima.
The name minima comes from a Latin word that means "least" or "smallest." This name was chosen because this subspecies has smaller flowers compared to other spider orchids.
Where the Little White Spider Orchid Lives
The little white spider orchid is only found in a small area near Yuna in Western Australia. This area is part of what scientists call the Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic region.
This orchid usually grows in woodlands and shrublands. These areas often experience dry periods. Because of this, you usually only see the flowers of the little white spider orchid in years when there has been good rainfall.
Protecting the Little White Spider Orchid
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given the Caladenia longicauda subsp. minima a special classification: "Priority Two."
This means that we don't know a lot about this orchid, and it's only found in one or a few places. Giving it this classification helps protect it and makes sure people know it's important to look after this rare plant.
