Red-lipped bunny orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red-lipped bunny orchid |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eriochilus
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| Species: |
valens
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The red-lipped bunny orchid (scientific name: Eriochilus valens) is a special type of plant. It belongs to the orchid family. This beautiful orchid grows only in Western Australia. It has one egg-shaped leaf that sits above the ground. It also has up to four small flowers. These flowers can be pink or white and pink. You can often find this orchid near swamps that are wet in winter. It usually blooms a lot after a bushfire happened the summer before.
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What the Red-Lipped Bunny Orchid Looks Like
The red-lipped bunny orchid is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It also has soft stems, not woody ones. It is a deciduous plant. This means it loses its leaves at certain times of the year. The orchid grows from a special underground part called a tuber. This tuber helps it store food.
It has one egg-shaped leaf. This leaf is about 5 to 20 mm (0.2 to 0.8 inches) long. It is also about 5 to 10 mm (0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide. The leaf sits on a thin stalk. This stalk is about 20 to 50 mm (0.8 to 2 inches) tall.
The orchid can have up to four flowers. These flowers are white or pink. They are about 10 mm (0.4 inches) long and wide. They grow on a stem that can be 10 to 250 mm (0.4 to 9.8 inches) tall.
Each flower has different parts:
- The dorsal sepal is like a top petal. It is egg-shaped and about 6 to 8 mm (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long.
- The lateral sepals are two side parts. They are about 9 to 11 mm (0.4 to 0.4 inches) long. They spread forward.
- The petals are narrow and shaped like a small spoon. They are about 5 to 7 mm (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long. They stay close to the top sepal.
- The labellum is a special lip-like petal. It is pink to red. It is about 6 to 8 mm (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long. This labellum has three parts, called lobes. The middle lobe is fleshy. It has tiny red bristles on it.
The red-lipped bunny orchid usually flowers from March to May. It flowers much more after a bushfire. This fire must have happened the summer before.
How the Orchid Got its Name
The red-lipped bunny orchid was first officially described in 2006. Two scientists, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown, described it. They found a sample of the orchid near Albany. Their description was published in a science journal called Nuytsia.
The second part of its scientific name, valens, is a Latin word. It means "strong" or "vigorous." This name was chosen because the orchid has a large and strong-looking labellum.
Where the Red-Lipped Bunny Orchid Lives
The red-lipped bunny orchid grows in woodland areas. It also lives in shrubland. These areas are usually found around swamps that are wet in winter. You can find this orchid mainly between Walpole and Albany in Western Australia.
How the Orchid is Protected
The Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife looks after this orchid. They have classified Eriochilus valens as "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
