Small-clubbed spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small-clubbed spider orchid |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
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| Species: |
clavula
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| Synonyms | |
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The small-clubbed spider orchid, known scientifically as Caladenia clavula, is a special type of plant. It belongs to the orchid family and is found only in South Australia. This orchid grows on the ground, either by itself or in small groups. It has one fuzzy leaf and usually a single greenish-yellow flower with cool red stripes.
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What Does the Small-Clubbed Spider Orchid Look Like?
The Caladenia clavula is a plant that grows from an underground part called a tuber. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so some parts might die back each year.
Leaves and Stems
Each orchid has one hairy leaf. This leaf is shaped like a spear or an egg. It grows to be about 8 to 13 centimeters (3 to 5 inches) long. The leaf is also about 18 to 22 millimeters (0.7 to 0.9 inches) wide. The flower grows on a stem that is about 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) tall.
Flower Features
The flowers are usually greenish-yellow or brownish. They have clear red stripes in the middle. Each flower is about 35 millimeters (1.4 inches) wide.
- Sepals: The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, is 35 to 45 millimeters (1.4 to 1.8 inches) long. It's thin for half its length, then becomes like a thread. The two side sepals are 30 to 40 millimeters (1.2 to 1.6 inches) long. They are also thin and curve like a sickle. All these sepals have a yellowish, tiny tip that looks like a gland.
- Petals: The petals are 22 to 30 millimeters (0.9 to 1.2 inches) long. They are thin and slightly curved.
- Labellum: The labellum is a special lip-like part of the orchid. It's shaped like a heart when flat and is about 13 to 16 millimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long and wide. It's greenish or greenish-brown and has three main parts. The side parts have five or six teeth, with the longest being about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches). The middle part bends forward and has shorter teeth along its edges. In the center of the labellum, there are rows of small, golf-stick shaped bumps called calli.
This orchid usually blooms from August to October.
How the Small-Clubbed Spider Orchid Got Its Name
The Caladenia clavula was first officially described in 1991. A botanist named David L. Jones wrote about it in a research paper called Australian Orchid Research. The first plant used to describe this species was found in the Carappee Hill Conservation Park. This park is near a place called Darke Peak.
The name clavula comes from a Latin word. It means "little club." This name refers to the small, club-like tips found on the ends of the sepals of the flower.
Where Does the Small-Clubbed Spider Orchid Live?
This type of caladenia orchid grows in open woodland areas. It also lives in areas with mallee trees. You can find it in the Flinders Ranges and Eyre Peninsula regions of South Australia.
