Pale china orchid facts for kids

The pale china orchid (scientific name: Caladenia gertrudae) is a beautiful flower. It belongs to the orchid family. This special plant only grows in the south-west part of Western Australia.

It has a small, oval-shaped leaf. Its flowers are pale blue and smell sweet. You might see one or two flowers on each plant. The pale china orchid looks a bit like another orchid called Caladenia gemmata. But you can tell them apart because the pale china orchid's leaf is green on both sides. Also, its flower has a sweet smell, and its labellum (a special part of the flower) has stripes.

What Does It Look Like?

The pale china orchid is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. It is a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years. It also loses its leaves each year, like some trees.

Each plant has one leaf that feels bristly. This leaf is about 30 to 50 mm (1.2 to 2.0 in) long. It is also about 10 to 15 mm (0.39 to 0.59 in) wide. Both sides of the leaf are green.

The plant can have up to three pale blue flowers. These flowers smell sweet. Each flower is about 20 to 50 mm (0.79 to 2.0 in) long and wide. They grow on a stalk that is about 50 to 150 mm (2.0 to 5.9 in) tall.

Flower Parts

The flower has different parts:

• The dorsal sepal stands straight up. It is about 17 to 25 mm (0.67 to 0.98 in) long. It is also about 4 to 8 mm (0.16 to 0.31 in) wide.
• The lateral sepals are on the sides. They are about the same size as the dorsal sepal.
• The petals are a bit shorter and narrower than the sepals.
• The labellum is a special lip-like part of the flower. It is about 7 to 10 mm (0.28 to 0.39 in) long. It is also about 5 to 7 mm (0.20 to 0.28 in) wide. The labellum is white with bluish-mauve stripes. Its tip points downwards.
• You can also see many small, round, bead-like bumps called calli on the labellum.

These orchids usually bloom from September to November.

How Did It Get Its Name?

The pale china orchid got its first official scientific description in 1920. A scientist named Carl Ostenfeld described it. He found a sample of the plant in a forest near Yallingup Cave (which is now called Ngilgi Cave). His description was published in a science book called Biologiske meddelelser, Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab.

Later, in 2000, two other scientists, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown, changed its name to Cyanicula gertrudiae. But in 2015, after studying the plant's DNA, Mark Clements changed the name back to Caladenia gertrudae.

The name gertrudae was chosen to honor Carl Ostenfeld's daughter, Gertrud.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew still uses the spelling Caladenia gertrudiae.

Where Does It Live?

The pale china orchid grows along the south coast of Western Australia. You can find it between the towns of Albany and Yallingup. It likes to grow between sand dunes in areas like the Jarrah Forest and Warren regions.

Is It Safe?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife says that Caladenia gertrudae is "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.