Pretty beard orchid facts for kids

The Calochilus pulchellus, commonly called the pretty beard orchid, is a very special type of orchid. It only grows in one small area: the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. This orchid has a single dark green leaf with a dark red base. Its flowers are pale green or yellowish with red stripes. The most interesting part is its labellum, which has a coppery red "beard." There are fewer than thirty of these plants known to exist, found in only three locations.

What Does the Pretty Beard Orchid Look Like?

The pretty beard orchid is a terrestrial plant. This means it grows in the ground, not on other plants. It's also a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years and has soft stems, not woody ones. It's a deciduous plant, so its leaves fall off at certain times of the year.

This orchid grows from an underground tuber, which is like a small, round storage part. It has one dark green leaf. This leaf is shaped like a line or a spear. It can be about 100–180 mm (4–7 in) long and 4–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. The base of the leaf is dark red. The leaf is fully grown when the plant flowers.

The Flowers of the Pretty Beard Orchid

The orchid can have up to five flowers. They are pale green to greenish yellow with red stripes. These flowers grow on a stem that is about 200–300 mm (8–10 in) tall. Each flower only lasts for two to four days.

Let's look at the parts of the flower:

• The dorsal sepal is the top part of the flower. It is broad and oval-shaped. It measures about 13–16 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and 8–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide.
• The lateral sepals are on the sides. They are similar in length but narrower than the dorsal sepal. They spread out from each other.
• The petals are about 8–9 mm (0.31–0.35 in) long and 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide. They are egg-shaped but not perfectly even, and they have a small tip that turns upwards.
• The labellum is a special lip-like petal. It is flat and about 28–30 mm (1.1–1.2 in) long and 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) wide. Near its base, it has short red calli, which are small bumps.
• The middle part of the labellum is covered with coppery red hairs. These hairs can be up to 6 mm (0.2 in) long, giving it a "beard" look.
• There is also a glandular tip on the labellum. This tip is about 12–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long.
• The column is the central part of the orchid flower. It has two blackish "eyes" without a ridge between them.

The pretty beard orchid flowers between October and November.

How the Pretty Beard Orchid Got Its Name

Calochilus pulchellus was first officially described in 2006. A botanist named David Jones gave it its scientific name. He described it from a plant he found in the Morton National Park. His description was published in a scientific paper called Australian Orchid Research.

The second part of its scientific name, pulchellus, comes from a Latin word. It is a smaller version of the Latin word pulcher, which means "pretty." So, pulchellus means "pretty little," referring to the beautiful small flowers of this orchid.

Where Does the Pretty Beard Orchid Live?

The pretty beard orchid grows in low heath areas. Heath is a type of plant community with small, shrubby plants. This orchid is only found in three places. All these places are in the Shoalhaven district of New South Wales.

Why Is This Orchid Endangered?

This orchid is listed as "endangered" under the New South Wales Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. This law helps protect plants and animals that are at risk. The biggest reason this orchid is endangered is its very small population size. With so few plants left, it's very important to protect them.