Stiff spider orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stiff spider orchid |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
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| Species: |
rigida
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The Caladenia rigida, often called the stiff spider orchid or white spider-orchid, is a special plant. It belongs to the amazing orchid family and grows only in South Australia.
This ground orchid has a single leaf that feels a bit hairy. Its flowers are white and usually appear one or two at a time. They have dark, bumpy tips on their outer parts (called sepals) and thin reddish-brown lines on both the sepals and inner parts (petals).
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What Does the Stiff Spider Orchid Look Like?
The stiff spider orchid is a plant that grows from the ground. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so it loses its leaves at certain times. This plant has a special underground tuber (like a small potato) and one hairy leaf. This leaf can be about 80 to 200 millimeters (3 to 8 inches) long and 8 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide.
The orchid usually has one or two white flowers. These flowers have thin reddish-brown lines and are about 40 to 60 millimeters (1.6 to 2.4 inches) wide. They grow on a stem that can be 150 to 300 millimeters (6 to 12 inches) tall.
Flower Parts
The outer parts of the flower, called sepals, have red, reddish-black, or yellow-green tips. These tips are about 8 to 12 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long. The top sepal stands up straight at first, then gently bends forward. It's about 25 to 45 millimeters (1 to 1.8 inches) long.
The two side sepals are about 40 to 50 millimeters (1.6 to 2 inches) long. They spread out stiffly, which is why the orchid is called "stiff." The petals are similar to the side sepals, about 25 to 37 millimeters (1 to 1.5 inches) long.
The most interesting part is the labellum, or "lip," of the flower. It's about 14 to 16 millimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long and 9 to 11 millimeters (0.35 to 0.43 inches) wide, and it's white. The sides of the labellum have many small, red, tooth-like parts with white tips. The very end of the labellum curves downwards. There are also four to six rows of red bumps, called calli, with white tips along the middle of the labellum.
This orchid usually blooms from August to October.
How the Stiff Spider Orchid Got Its Name
The stiff spider orchid, Caladenia rigida, was officially described in 1930. A scientist named Richard Sanders Rogers wrote about it. He published his description in a journal called Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. The plant he studied was found near Golden Grove.
The second part of its scientific name, rigida, comes from a Latin word. It means "stiff," "rigid," or "inflexible," which describes how its sepals spread out.
Where Does the Stiff Spider Orchid Live?
The stiff spider orchid is only found in a specific area of South Australia. It grows in the Mount Lofty Ranges. You can find it on the higher parts of hills, in open forests where there are also some shrubs.
Life Cycle and Pollination
This orchid has a clever way to attract insects. It seems to trick certain types of thynnid wasps into thinking it's a female wasp, which helps with pollination. It also offers food to other insects, encouraging them to visit and help spread its pollen.
Fire is not needed for this orchid to flower. However, some groups of these orchids seem to grow better after a fire. This might be because fire helps reduce other plants, like grasses, that compete with the orchid for space and resources.
Protecting the Stiff Spider Orchid
The stiff spider orchid, Caladenia rigida, is considered "endangered." This means it's at high risk of disappearing forever. Both the Australian Government and the South Australian Government have laws to protect it.
The biggest dangers to this orchid are animals eating it, especially kangaroos. Also, other plants that are not native to the area (called weeds) can grow too much and take over the orchid's space.
