Caladenia plicata

Crab–lipped spider orchid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Genus: Caladenia
Species: C. plicata
Binomial name
Caladenia plicata
Fitzg. (1882)

Caladenia plicata, commonly known as the crab–lipped spider orchid is a species of orchid endemic to the south–west of Western Australia.

Description

Caladenia plicata has a single leaf, 80–200 mm long and 6–12 mm wide. The flower stem is 160–350 mm high and bears 1 or 2 flowers, each 30–40 mm across. The flowers are pale yellowish with red markings and appear from September to October. The labellum (central lip of the flower) is delicately hinged so that it trembles in the slightest breeze, has spreading teeth to 4 mm long on the sides and (non–secreting) glands or calli in a central band.[1]

Distribution and habitat

The Crab–lipped spider orchid is locally common, growing in a range of forested habitats with well–drained sand or gravel with apparent preference for Casuarina thickets.[1] It occurs in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest Swan Coastal Plain and Warren biogeographical regions of Western Australia.[2]

Taxonomy and naming

Caladenia plicata was first described by Robert D. FitzGerald in 1882 in The Gardeners' Chronicle, in which he describes the species as "A very hairy species, about 1 foot high.........(The labellum is constantly moving up and down with the slightest breath of air.)"[3]

In a review of the genus Caladenia in 2004, C.plicata was renamed Arachnorchis plicata (Fitzg.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.[4][5]

The specific epithet (plicata) is derived from the Latin word plicatus meaning "folded".[6]

References

  1. 1 2 Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 74. ISBN 1877069124.
  2. ↑ "Caladenia plicata Rchb.f.". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  3. ↑ "The Gardeners' Chronicle". p. 461. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  4. ↑ Hopper, Stephen D.; Brown, Andrew P. (29 April 2004). "Robert Brown's Caladenia revisited, including a revision of its sister genera Cyanicula, Ericksonella and Pheladenia (Caladeniinae: Orchidaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany. 17 (2): 171–240. doi:10.1071/sb03002.
  5. ↑ "Arachnorchis plicata R. Br.". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  6. ↑ "plicatus". Wiktionary. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
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