Red helmet orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red helmet orchid |
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The red helmet orchid, officially called Corybas cerasinus, is a special type of orchid. It grows only in tropical northern Queensland, Australia. This small plant has a single bluish-green, heart-shaped leaf. Its flower is cherry red to dark maroon. The flower's curved top part, called the dorsal sepal, covers most of its lip, which is called the labellum. The tip of the labellum points upwards.
What Does the Red Helmet Orchid Look Like?
The red helmet orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It is a terrestrial plant, meaning it lives on land. It is also a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years. The plant loses its leaves at certain times of the year, making it deciduous.
Each plant has one heart-shaped leaf. This leaf lies flat on the ground. It is about 12 to 25 millimeters (about half to one inch) long. It is also about 10 to 14 millimeters (about half an inch) wide. The top of the leaf is bluish-green, and the bottom is purplish.
The plant produces a single flower. This flower stands upright and is cherry red to dark maroon. It is about 9 to 13 millimeters (about half an inch) long. The flower is also about 5 to 9 millimeters (about a quarter to a third of an inch) wide.
The biggest part of the flower is the dorsal sepal. This part is egg-shaped or oblong when flattened. It measures about 15 to 23 millimeters (about three-quarters of an inch) long. It is also about 6 to 10 millimeters (about a quarter to a third of an inch) wide. The lateral sepals are thin and about 1.5 millimeters long. The petals are even smaller, about 1 millimeter long. The labellum, or lip, of the flower is mostly hidden. However, its edges turn upwards and have tiny bristles. Red helmet orchids usually bloom from June to August.
Who Named the Red Helmet Orchid?
The red helmet orchid was first officially described in 2001. Two scientists, David Jones and Bruce Gray, gave it its formal name. They described it from a plant found on Mount Walker. Their description was published in a journal called The Orchadian. The second part of its scientific name, cerasinus, is a Latin word. It means "cherry-coloured," which describes the flower's color.
Where Does the Red Helmet Orchid Grow?
The red helmet orchid grows in forests. It often grows in groups, called colonies. Sometimes, only a few plants in a colony will be flowering at one time. You can find this orchid between Cooktown and the Herbert River in Queensland. It also grows on Dunk Island.
