Caladenia capillata

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White daddy long legs
Caladenia capillata.jpg
Caladenia capillata in the Little Desert National Park
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Caladenia
Species:
C. capillata
Binomial name
Caladenia capillata
(Tate) D.L.Jones [1]
Synonyms [1]
  • Calonema capillatum (D.L.Jones) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem
  • Jonesiopsis capillata (D.L.Jones) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem
  • Caladenia filamentosa var. tentaculata R.S.Rogers

Caladenia capillata, commonly known as white daddy long legs or wispy spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria and South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and up to three cream-coloured to yellowish flowers with long, thread-like petals and sepals and a very small labellum.

Contents

Description

Caladenia capillata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb which often grows in clumps. It has an underground tuber and a single, very hairy, narrow linear leaf, 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long and 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. [2] [3]

There are up to three, sometimes four flowers borne on a slender, very hairy spike 5–15 cm (2–6 in) high. The dorsal and lateral sepals and the petals are greyish cream to creamy white, sometimes with reddish streaks, 3–7 cm (1–3 in) long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide at the base and taper to a long, thread-like tip. All are covered with glandular hairs and have drooping tips. The labellum is 4.5–6 mm (0.18–0.24 in) long, about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide and egg-shaped when flattened. The labellum has many short, broad teeth along its edge and there are two rows of flattened calli in its centre. This species is similar to Caladenia filamentosa but is usually not as tall and the flowers not as red as those of that species. Flowering occurs from August to November. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described by Ralph Tate in 1889 and given the name Caladenia tentaculata [4] but that name was invalid because the name had already been given to a different species by Schlechtendal. [5] In 1922, R.S.Rogers changed the name to Caladenia filamentosa var. tentaculata [6] and in 2000 David L. Jones raised it to species level with the name Caladenia capillata. [1]

Tate's original description was published in Transactions, proceedings and report, Royal Society of South Australia from a specimen collected "45 miles due west of Port Augusta". [7] The specific epithet (capillata) is derived from the Latin word capillus meaning "hair". [8]

Confusion remains over the naming of this species because Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown described Caladenia paradoxa in 2001, unaware of Jones's description of Caladenia capillata and it is possible that the two species are synonymous. [9] The State Herbarium of South Australia continues to use the name Caladenia filamentosa var. tentaculata. [10]

Distribution and habitat

This caladenia grows in north-western Victoria in mallee scrub and in heath, malle or light scrub in rocky places in South Australia. [2] [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Caladenia saccharata</i> species of plant

Caladenia saccharata, commonly known as sugar orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single leaf and a single flower with three white sepals and two similar petals.

<i>Pheladenia</i> genus of plants

Pheladenia deformis, commonly known as blue fairy orchid or blue beard is the only species of the flowering plant genus Pheladenia in the orchid family, Orchidaceae and is endemic to Australia. It was originally named as Caladenia deformis and has since had several name changes. Plants have a single, narrow, hairy leaf and usually blue flowers with relatively short, broad sepals and petals and an unusual labellum.

<i>Caladenia picta</i> species of plant

Caladenia picta, commonly known as painted fingers, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single, sparsely hairy leaf and a single white or pink flower with a greenish-white back. Unlike many other caladenias, it flowers in autumn.

<i>Caladenia fuscata</i> species of plant

Caladenia fuscata, commonly known as dusky fingers, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern and south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It is a small ground orchid found in eucalyptus woodland and which flowers in September and October.

<i>Caladenia attingens</i> species of plant

Caladenia attingens, commonly known as mantis orchids, are plants in the orchid family Orchidaceae and are endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. There are three subspecies, each of which has a single hairy leaf and one or two brightly coloured flowers with upswept sepals and a labellum with long, comb-like fringes. The subspecies differ in size, distribution and habitat.

<i>Caladenia aurantiaca</i> species of plant

Caladenia aurantiaca, commonly known as orangetip fingers, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria, although it is also found on one Bass Strait island. It is a slender ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and one or two short-lived, orange-tipped, white flowers on a thin, wiry spike.

Caladenia bicalliata subsp. bicalliata, commonly known as the limestone spider orchid or dwarf limestone spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is native to the south-west of Western Australia and coastal areas of South Australia. It has a single erect, hairy leaf and one or two cream-coloured flowers with reddish-brown tips.

Caladenia bicalliata is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is native to the south-west of Western Australia and coastal areas of South Australia. It has a single erect, hairy leaf and one or two cream-coloured flowers. There are two subspecies differing in the size and colour of the flowers.

<i>Caladenia caesarea <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> caesarea</i> subspecies of plant

Caladenia caesarea subsp. caesarea, commonly known as the mustard spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single spreading, hairy leaf and up to three mustard-coloured flowers with red stripes. It was originally described as a subspecies of Caladenia filamentosa but the rich colour of its flowers and prominent labellum separate it from that species.

<i>Caladenia caesarea <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> maritima</i> subspecies of plant

Caladenia caesarea subsp. maritima, commonly known as the cape spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single spreading, hairy leaf and up to three small mustard-coloured flowers with red stripes. It is only known from a small coastal area near Cape Leeuwin where it grows in clumps of ten or more.

Caladenia caesarea subsp. transiens, commonly known as the dwarf mustard spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single spreading, hairy leaf and up to three small lemon-yellow flowers with red stripes. It is only known from a single small population near the town of Williams.

<i>Caladenia cardiochila</i> species of plant

Caladenia cardiochila, commonly known as thick-lipped spider-orchid, fleshy-lipped caladenia and heartlip spider-orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria and South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and one or two yellowish-green, red-striped flowers on a thin, wiry stem.

<i>Caladenia clavigera</i> species of plant

Caladenia clavigera, commonly known as plain-lip spider orchid or clubbed spider orchid is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a ground orchid which grows as scattered individuals or in small colonies in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. It has a single leaf and one or two small yellowish-green and red flowers.

Caladenia concinna, commonly known as the neat spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf, and usually a single greenish flower with red stripes on the petals and sepals.

Caladenia conferta, commonly known as the crowded spider orchid or coast spider-orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to a restricted area in South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf, and usually a single yellowish-green flower with red markings on a wiry, hairy stalk.

<i>Caladenia filamentosa</i> species of plant

Caladenia filamentosa, commonly known as daddy-long-legs, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and up to four, usually dark red flowers with long, drooping lateral sepals and petals.

<i>Caladenia fragrantissima</i> species of plant

Caladenia fragrantissima, commonly known as the scented spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria and South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and up to three creamy-white to yellowish-green flowers. It is possible that it is conspecific with Caladenia orientalis.

<i>Caladenia stricta</i> species of plant

Caladenia stricta, commonly known as the upright spider orchid or rigid-combed spider-orchid is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single leaf and usually only one pale green flower with red lines along the sepals and petals.

<i>Caladenia toxochila</i> species of plant

Caladenia toxochila, commonly known as the bow-lip spider orchid is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single, sparsely hairy leaf and one or two yellowish-green flowers with red stripes. It occurs in Victoria and South Australia and resembles the related Caladenia concinna from New South Wales.

Caladenia saxatilis is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and one or two pale creamy-green flowers, sometimes with thin reddish lines. It occurs in the southern Flinders Ranges.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Caladenia capillata". APNI. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Jeanes, Jeff. "Caladenia capillata". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: vicflora. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 Mayfield, Enid (2010). Flora of the Otway plain & ranges (2nd ed.). Collingwood, VIC: CSIRO Publishing. p. 72. ISBN   9780643098046.
  4. "Caladenia tentaculata". APNI. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  5. "Caladenia tentaculata". APNI. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  6. "Caladenia filamentosa var. tentaculata". APNI. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  7. Tate, Ralph (1889). "Definitions of four new species of Australian plants". Transactions, proceedings and report, Royal Society of South Australia. 12: 130–131. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  8. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 390.
  9. Hopper, Stephen D.; Brown, Andrew P. (2004). "Robert Brown's Caladenia revisited, including a revision of its sister genera Cyanicula, Ericksonella and Pheladenia (Caladeniinae: Orchidaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany. 17 (2): 203. doi:10.1071/SB03002.
  10. 1 2 "Caladenia filamentosa var. tentaculata". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 15 November 2016.