Caladenia discoidea

Caladenia discoidea, commonly known as the dancing spider orchid, antelope orchid or bee orchid is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its horizontally arranged flowers and unusually short sepals and petals.

Dancing spider orchid
Caladenia discoidea growing near Bertram
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Caladenia
Species:
C. discoidea
Binomial name
Caladenia discoidea
Lindl. (1840)

Description

Caladenia discoidea has a single leaf, 8–18 mm (0.3–0.7 in) long, about 8 mm (0.3 in) wide and hairy on both surfaces. The flower stem is 90–450 mm (4–20 in) long and bears 1 to 4 flowers, each 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long and wide. The flowers are oriented horizontally, are yellow and green with red stripes, have very short petals and sepals and a rounded, fringed labellum with dark calli. Flowers appear between August and early October.[1][2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Caladenia discoidea was first described by John Lindley in 1840 in A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony.[5][6] The specific epithet is "from the Latin discoideus (rounded blade and thickened margin), alluding to the rounded labellum shape".[2]

Distribution and habitat

The dancing spider orchid is widespread in the drier areas of the south-west between Kalbarri and Israelite Bay, growing in woodland, sometimes on the edges of salt lakes.[1][2] It occurs in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions of Western Australia.[3][7]

Conservation

Caladenia discoidea is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.[7]

Cultural reference

This species was featured on an Australian postage stamp in 2014.[8]

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References
  1. Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 85. ISBN 9780646562322.
  2. Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 100–101. ISBN 9780980296457.
  3. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 77. ISBN 0646402439.
  4. Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2002). Wildflowers of Southern Western Australia (Updated ed.). Noble Park Victoria: Five Mile Press. p. 144. ISBN 1875971491.
  5. "Caladenia discoidea". APNI. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  6. Lindley, John (1840). A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony. Piccadilly, London: James Ridgway. p. 52. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  7. "Caladenia discoidea Lindl". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  8. "Caladenia discoidea". Australian National Botanic Garden. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
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