South coast spider orchid facts for kids

The South Coast Spider Orchid, also known as Caladenia meridionalis, is a unique type of orchid. It grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This orchid is one of the first to flower each year. It has a single leaf that stands up straight and is covered in tiny hairs. Its flowers are white and have long, hanging parts called sepals and petals.

What Does It Look Like?

The South Coast Spider Orchid is a plant that grows in the ground. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for many years. It's also a deciduous herb, which means its green parts above ground die back at certain times, but it grows back from an underground tuber.

Each orchid has one hairy leaf that stands up. This leaf is about 100–130 mm (4–5 in) long and 4–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) wide.

The plant usually grows one or two beautiful flowers. These flowers are white or cream-colored. They can be 100–150 mm (4–6 in) long and 60–100 mm (2–4 in) wide. They grow on a stalk that is about 150–250 mm (6–10 in) tall.

• Sepals and Petals: The sepals and petals of the flower have dark reddish-brown tips that look like threads and hang down.
  • The top sepal, called the dorsal sepal, stands straight up. It's about 55–80 mm (2–3 in) long.
  • The two side sepals, called lateral sepals, are similar in length but a bit wider. They spread out near the bottom and then hang down.
  • The petals are about 50–70 mm (2–3 in) long and hang down like the side sepals.

• Labellum: The central part of the flower is called the labellum. It's about 12–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long and 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide. It's white with red stripes, spots, and blotches. The very tip of the labellum curls underneath. The sides of the labellum have small, uneven jagged edges. In the middle, there are six to twelve creamy-yellow, anvil-shaped bumps called calli with pink marks, arranged in two rows.

This orchid usually flowers from July to August.

How It Was Named

The South Coast Spider Orchid was officially named Caladenia meridionalis in 2001. It was described by two scientists, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Phillip Brown. Their description was published in a science journal called Nuytsia.

The second part of its name, meridionalis, is a Latin word. It means "southern." This name was chosen because this orchid is found along the south coast of Western Australia.

Where It Lives

You can find the South Coast Spider Orchid growing between Windy Harbour and Albany in Western Australia. It likes to grow in areas with shrubs and stable sand dunes.

Conservation Status

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Caladenia meridionalis as "not threatened." This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.