Pink fairies facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pink fairy orchid
Scientific classification
Genus:	Caladenia
Species:	latifolia
Synonyms
Caladeniastrum latifolium (R.Br.) Szlach. & Rutk.

Caladenia latifolia, often called pink fairies, is a type of orchid that grows only in Australia. You can find it all over the southern part of the continent and in Tasmania. This orchid has a single, fuzzy leaf and usually up to four pink flowers. Sometimes, the flowers are white. It's easy to spot because of its fairly big, green leaf and its pink flowers growing on a tall stem.

What Does the Pink Fairy Orchid Look Like?

The pink fairy orchid (Caladenia latifolia) is a plant that grows from an underground tuber (like a small potato). It often grows in large groups. This plant is a perennial, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so parts of it die back each year.

It has one leaf that is shaped like a long oval or spear. This leaf is about 80–180 mm (3–7 in) long and 3–30 mm (0.1–1 in) wide. The leaf usually lies flat on the ground. It is green and very fuzzy on both sides.

Up to four pink flowers grow on a stem that is 200–450 mm (8–20 in) tall. Each flower is about 20–40 mm (0.8–2 in) long and 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) wide. Sometimes, the flowers are white with pink marks. The back of the sepals and petals is covered with tiny, sticky hairs. This part is a lighter shade of pink.

The top sepal stands straight up. It is about 12–16 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. The side sepals spread out wide. They are about 13–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide. The petals are 10–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. They also spread out and sometimes have a few uneven edges.

The labellum (the orchid's special lip petal) is 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide. It can be pink or white and has three clear parts, called lobes. The side lobes are pink with dark stripes. They are narrow and sometimes have small teeth on their edges. The middle lobe is white with a pink tip and is shaped like a triangle. It has three or four long, thin teeth on each side. There are two rows of yellowish bumps, called calli, with white tips in the middle of the labellum. They form a half-circle shape.

Pink fairies bloom from August to December.

How It Got Its Name

The pink fairy orchid, Caladenia latifolia, was first officially described in 1810. This was done by a botanist named Robert Brown. His description was published in a book called Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae.

The second part of its scientific name, latifolia, comes from two Latin words. Latus means "broad" and folium means "leaf". This name refers to the wide leaf that this orchid has.

Where Do Pink Fairies Grow?

Pink fairies grow in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia.

In Victoria, you mostly find them near the coast, growing in sand. They are rarely found further inland. In South Australia, they are common in the southeast, also growing in sandy areas near the coast. In Tasmania, they live in coastal scrub and heathland in the northern part of the island.

In Western Australia, pink fairies are found from Kalbarri in the north down to Israelite Bay in the south. They can grow in many different places, from coastal heath to the edges of salt lakes further inland.

Is It Protected?

In Western Australia, the C. latifolia orchid is considered "Not Threatened" by the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife. This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.

Images for kids

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  A rare white form of the pink fairy orchid.

See also

In Spanish: Pink Fairies para niños