Spectacled donkey orchid facts for kids
The Spectacled donkey orchid, also known as Diuris conspicillata, is a special type of orchid. It only grows in one part of the world: the south-west of Western Australia. This orchid is quite rare and can only be found in a couple of places along the coast.
Quick facts for kids Spectacled donkey orchid |
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| Diuris conspicillata growing on Frenchmans Peak in the Cape Le Grand National Park | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Diuris
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| Species: |
conspicillata
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Contents
What Does the Spectacled Donkey Orchid Look Like?
The Spectacled donkey orchid is a plant that grows from a tuber (a swollen underground stem, like a potato). It is a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. This orchid usually grows to be about 15 to 30 centimetres (6 to 12 inches) tall.
At the bottom of the plant, it has two or three leaves. Each leaf is about 10 to 20 centimetres (4 to 8 inches) long and 5 to 10 millimetres (0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide.
Flowers of the Spectacled Donkey Orchid
This orchid can have up to six flowers. Each flower is yellow and brown and measures about 3 to 5 centimetres (1.2 to 2 inches) long and 2 to 4 centimetres (0.8 to 1.6 inches) wide.
The flowers have wide, ear-shaped petals. They also have a short, wide top part called a dorsal sepal. Below that, there are two hanging, crossed parts called lateral sepals.
The special lower petal, called the labellum, looks like a narrow wedge. It has three parts, or lobes. The two side lobes are wide and spread out, while the middle lobe is short and flat. These orchids bloom, or flower, from August to September.
How the Spectacled Donkey Orchid Got Its Name
The Spectacled donkey orchid, Diuris conspicillata, was first officially described in 1991. It was named by a botanist (a plant scientist) named David Jones. He published his description in a magazine called Australian Orchid Review.
The second part of its scientific name, conspicillata, comes from the Latin word for "spectacles" or "glasses." This is because the markings on the labellum (the special lower petal) look a bit like a pair of spectacles.
Where the Spectacled Donkey Orchid Lives
The Spectacled donkey orchid is only found in two specific places. These are small groups of plants growing in shallow soil on rocky areas near the coast. Both of these locations are close to the town of Esperance in Western Australia.
Protecting the Spectacled Donkey Orchid
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the Spectacled donkey orchid. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means that, for now, there are enough of these orchids in the wild, and they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
