Spade-lipped wasp orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spade-lipped wasp orchid |
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The Chiloglottis palachila, also known as the spade-lipped wasp orchid, is a special type of orchid. It is only found in certain high places in northern New South Wales, Australia. This unique plant has two leaves that lie flat on the ground. It produces a single flower that can be green or greenish-pink. A cool feature of this flower is a black, ant-like bump called a callus on its special lip petal, known as the labellum. The outer leaf-like parts of the flower, called sepals, have interesting swollen, brown tips that look like tiny glands.
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Discover the Spade-Lipped Wasp Orchid
The spade-lipped wasp orchid is a plant that lives on the ground. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years, and it's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times. This plant has two oval-shaped leaves that lie flat on the ground. These leaves are about 30 to 70 millimeters (about 1 to 3 inches) long and 12 to 15 millimeters (about 0.5 inches) wide. Each leaf has a stem that is 10 to 30 millimeters (about 0.4 to 1.2 inches) long.
What Does the Flower Look Like?
A single flower grows on a stem that stands 120 to 170 millimeters (about 5 to 7 inches) tall. The flower itself is about 20 to 22 millimeters (about 0.8 to 0.9 inches) long and 5 to 7 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide. It can be green or a greenish-pink color.
The top sepal, which is like a protective leaf for the flower, is shaped like a spatula. It is 12 to 18 millimeters (about 0.5 to 0.7 inches) long and 3 to 3.5 millimeters (about 0.1 inches) wide. It has a narrow, glandular tip that is an extra 2 millimeters (about 0.08 inches) long. The side sepals are thin and pointy, 12 to 15 millimeters (about 0.5 to 0.6 inches) long and about 1 millimeter (about 0.04 inches) wide. They curve strongly downwards and have swollen, brown glandular tips that are about 2 millimeters (about 0.08 inches) long.
The petals of the flower are oblong, 10 to 12 millimeters (about 0.4 to 0.5 inches) long and 2 to 3 millimeters (about 0.08 to 0.1 inches) wide. They turn downwards near the sides of the flower's base.
The Special Labellum
The most unique part is the labellum, which is the orchid's special lip petal. It is shaped like a spade and sticks out horizontally. It measures about 5 to 6 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) long and 4 to 5 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) wide. About one-third of the base of the labellum is covered with a black, ant-like callus, which is a raised bump about 3 millimeters (about 0.1 inches) long.
The central part of the flower, called the column, has clear reddish stripes. It is 7 to 9 millimeters (about 0.3 to 0.4 inches) long and about 3 millimeters (about 0.1 inches) wide, with wide, wing-like parts. This orchid usually blooms from April to June.
How the Spade-Lipped Wasp Orchid Got Its Name
This orchid was first officially described in 1991 by two botanists, David Jones and Mark Clements. They found a sample of the plant at Barrington Tops National Park. They published their description in a scientific paper called Australian Orchid Research.
David Jones explained that the plant's scientific name, palachila, comes from the Latin word palachilus, which means "spade-shaped." This name perfectly describes the unique shape of the orchid's labellum.
Where Does the Spade-Lipped Wasp Orchid Live?
The spade-lipped wasp orchid grows in open forests, often close to rainforest areas. It especially likes to grow near streams. However, you can also find it under small shrubs on exposed mountain peaks. This orchid lives in separate groups of plants, called disjunct populations, in places like Point Lookout, Barrington Tops, and Mount Kaputar National Park.
