White primrose orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White primrose orchid |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caladenia
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| Species: |
lateritica
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The Caladenia lateritica, also known as the white primrose orchid, is a special type of orchid plant. It grows only in a few specific places in south-western Western Australia. These places are high, flat areas called plateaux that have a lot of rain and a special type of soil called lateritic soil.
This ground orchid has a single leaf that feels a bit hairy. It usually grows one or two white flowers on a thin stem. The white primrose orchid looks a bit like the Caladenia flava, but its flowers are white and smell nice, while the cowslip orchid has yellow flowers. The white primrose orchid's flowers also have cool red stripes and spots.
Interestingly, Caladenia lateritica pretends to be another plant called Conostylis setosa. It flowers at the same time, is about the same height, and has similar colours and smells. It even shares the same native bee pollinator! The Conostylis setosa plant gives the bees pollen and nectar, but the orchid doesn't give the bees any reward. It just tricks them into visiting!
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What Does the White Primrose Orchid Look Like?
The white primrose orchid is a ground plant that lives for many years. It's a perennial herb, which means it has soft stems instead of woody ones. Every year, it grows new round parts called tubers about 8 to 15 centimeters (3 to 6 inches) deep in the soil.
From these tubers, a single, hairy, long leaf grows. This leaf is usually 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 in) long and 4 to 8 mm (0.2 to 0.3 in) wide. Sometimes, the underside of the leaf has purple lines.
The plant can have up to three flowers on a thin stem that is 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 in) tall. The flowers have parts called sepals and petals that spread out. They are white with different amounts of red dots and stripes.
The top sepal is shaped like a spear and is 10 to 21 mm (0.4 to 0.8 in) long. The side sepals are wider and the petals are oval-shaped, often with one or more red stripes. The labellum (which is a special lip-like petal) has three main parts. It has a raised yellow plate near its base and rows of white bumps called calli. The side parts of the labellum are a bit pink.
This orchid is sometimes confused with C. flava subsp. sylvestris. However, Caladenia lateritica flowers earlier and has white flowers, while C. flava subsp. sylvestris flowers later and has yellow parts at the base of its sepals and petals.
How Was This Orchid Named?
The white primrose orchid was officially described in 2018 by two scientists, Kingsley Dixon and Maarten Christenhusz. At first, there was some confusion about whether it was a new species.
However, scientists later confirmed it was a unique species. They found clear differences in its flower colour, when it blooms, the insects that pollinate it, and its smell. These differences showed that it was truly separate from other similar orchids.
Where Does the White Primrose Orchid Grow?
You can only find Caladenia lateritica in specific areas of south-western Western Australia. These areas are isolated lateritic plateaux located south of Dwellingup and north-east of Waroona.
These orchids often grow in large groups by themselves. Sometimes, they grow alongside another orchid called Caladenia rosea. They prefer to grow in shallow lateritic soil that sits on top of a hard rock called bauxite.
They grow in open woodlands. The tall trees in these woodlands include jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), marri (Corymbia calophylla), and parrot bush (Banksia sessilis). Smaller plants that grow underneath include Conostylis setosa, Orthrosanthus laxus, Xanthorrhoea preissii, Hypocalymma robustum, Phyllanthus calycinus, and different types of Stylidium species.
How Does This Orchid Live in Nature?
Caladenia lateritica grows alongside the white cottonhead plant (Conostylis setosa). They are similar in height, flower colour, scent, and when they flower. This is part of the orchid's trick to get pollinated!
The more common Caladenia flava subsp. flava rarely grows in these specific areas. This shows that the white primrose orchid prefers the special soil and weather conditions of these high plateaux.
Sadly, many of the places where this orchid could grow have been, or are currently being, mined. This means that the orchid's habitat is shrinking.
