Slaty helmet orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Slaty helmet orchid |
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The slaty helmet orchid (scientific name: Corybas incurvus) is a special type of orchid. It grows only in south-eastern Australia. This orchid is known for its unique look. It has a broad, heart-shaped leaf. It also has a beautiful dark purple flower. The flower has a white patch in its middle.
What Does the Slaty Helmet Orchid Look Like?
The slaty helmet orchid is a plant that grows in the ground. It is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It also loses its leaves each year.
Its leaf is broad and shaped like an egg or a heart. The leaf is about 15 to 30 millimeters (0.6 to 1.2 inches) long. It is also 15 to 25 millimeters (0.6 to 1.0 inches) wide. The top of the leaf is dark green. The underside is a shiny, silvery green.
Each plant grows a single flower. The flower is dark purple. It is about 12 to 17 millimeters (0.5 to 0.7 inches) long. It is also 10 to 15 millimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) wide.
The top part of the flower is called the sepal. It is greenish with purple marks. This sepal curves forward. It forms a hood over the flower's lip, called the labellum. The side sepals are thin. They are about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) long. They join together at their base. The petals are small, about 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) long. Their tips are often split into two.
The labellum is shaped like a tube at its base. This tube is about 10 to 15 millimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long. Then it opens up into a flat area. This flat part is also 10 to 15 millimeters long and wide. There is a white spot in the center of the labellum. Its edges curve inwards. They also have a few small teeth. These orchids usually bloom from June to August.
How Did This Orchid Get Its Name?
The slaty helmet orchid was first officially described in 1988. Two botanists, David Jones and Mark Clements, named it. They found a sample of the plant near Tyabb. They published its description in a science journal called Kew Bulletin.
The second part of its scientific name, incurvus, means "curved inwards." This name was chosen because the edges of the flower's lip (labellum) curve inwards.
Where Does This Orchid Live?
The slaty helmet orchid grows in moist places. You can find it in heathland, woodland, and forest areas. It lives in south-eastern Australia.
Its range stretches from south of Cowra in New South Wales. It also grows in almost all parts of Victoria, except the north-west. You can also find it in the south-east of South Australia and throughout Tasmania.
