Caladenia cracens

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Elegant caladenia
Caladenia cracens.jpg
Caladenia cracens growing near Calverts Lagoon
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Caladenia
Species:
C. cracens
Binomial name
Caladenia cracens
Synonyms [1]

Stegostyla cracens(D.L.Jones) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.

Contents

Caladenia cracens, commonly known as the elegant caladenia, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a ground orchid with a single, sparsely hairy leaf and a single pale to dark pink or mauve flower on a thin, wiry stem 5–18 cm (2–7 in) high.

Orchidaceae family of plants

The Orchidaceae are a diverse and widespread family of flowering plants, with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant, commonly known as the orchid family.

Endemism ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location or habitat

Endemism is the ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation, country or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. The extreme opposite of endemism is cosmopolitan distribution. An alternative term for a species that is endemic is precinctive, which applies to species that are restricted to a defined geographical area.

Tasmania island state of Australia

Tasmania is an island state of Australia. It is located 240 km (150 mi) to the south of the Australian mainland, separated by Bass Strait. The state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-largest island in the world, and the surrounding 334 islands. The state has a population of around 526,700 as of March 2018. Just over forty percent of the population resides in the Greater Hobart precinct, which forms the metropolitan area of the state capital and largest city, Hobart.

Description

Caladenia cracens is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and which grows singly or in loose groups. It has a single, sparsely hairy, narrow linear leaf, 5–12 cm (2–5 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.04–0.1 in) wide. [2]

Perennial plant Plant that lives for more than two years

A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widely used to distinguish plants with little or no woody growth from trees and shrubs, which are also technically perennials.

Deciduous trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally

In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous (/dɪˈsɪdʒuəs/) means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, after flowering; and to the shedding of ripe fruit.

Herbaceous plant Plant which has no persistent woody stem above ground

Herbaceous plants are plants that have no persistent woody stem above ground. The term is mainly applied to perennials, but in botany it may also refer to annuals or biennials, and include both forbs and graminoids.

A single, sweetly-scented flower, 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) across, is borne on a thin, wiry spike 8–15 cm (3–6 in) high. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped with the narrow end towards the base, 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long, 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide and forms a hood over the labellum and column. The lateral sepals and petals are lance-shaped, 8–13 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long, 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide and pale to dark pink. The sepals and petals are glabrous on the front but densely covered with glandular hairs on the back and are held more or less horizontally and spreading from each other. The labellum has three lobes, is broadly egg-shaped when flattened and curves forward, 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide and has five to eight pairs of linear teeth along the edge, decreasing in size towards the front. There are between two and four irregular rows of thin cream or yellow calli along the centre part. The lateral lobes of the labellum are erect and partly surround the column. The column is about 6 mm (0.2 in) long, 2.5 mm (0.1 in) wide and green to whitish with red markings and has narrow wings. Flowering occurs between late September and early November and is followed by the fruit which is a papery capsule. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Sepal part of a calyx

A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms. Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom. The term sepalum was coined by Noël Martin Joseph de Necker in 1790, and derived from the Greek σκεπη (skepi), a covering.

Labellum (botany)

In botany, the labellum is the part of the flower of an orchid or Canna, or other less-known genera that serves to attract insects, which pollinate the flower, and acts as a landing platform for them.

Column (botany) reproductive structure that can be found in several plant families

The column, or technically the gynostemium, is a reproductive structure that can be found in several plant families: Aristolochiaceae, Orchidaceae, and Stylidiaceae.

Taxonomy and naming

Caladenia cracens was first formally described by David L. Jones in 1996 and the description was published in Muelleria from a specimen collected in the Lenah Valley near Hobart. [1] The specific epithet (cracens) is a Latin word meaning "neat" or "graceful", [6] adjectives "which apply to this graceful species". [2]

Muelleria is a peer-reviewed scientific journal on botany published by the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. It focuses on topics relating to plants, algae, and fungi in the southern hemisphere and Australia in particular. The journal was named in honour of Victorian Government botanist Ferdinand von Mueller. Muelleria commenced publication in 1955 with funding from the Maud Gibson Trust. The trust was initiated in 1945 following the donation of £20,000 by Maud Gibson, a daughter of William Gibson, founder of the Foy & Gibson department store chain.

Lenah Valley, Tasmania Suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Lenah Valley is a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania. It is situated in the foothills of Mount Wellington, north of the CBD between Mount Stuart, New Town and the City of Glenorchy.

Hobart City in Tasmania, Australia

Hobart is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. With a population of approximately 225,000, it is the least populated Australian state capital city, and second smallest if territories are taken into account. Founded in 1804 as a British penal colony, Hobart, formerly known as Hobart Town or Hobarton, is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney, New South Wales. Prior to British settlement, the Hobart area had been occupied for possibly as long as 35,000 years, by the semi-nomadic Mouheneener tribe, a sub-group of the Nuennone, or South-East tribe. The descendants of these Aboriginal Tasmanians often refer to themselves as 'Palawa'.

Distribution and habitat

Elegant caladenia is widespread in southern Tasmania where it grows in woodland and forest, less commonly in heath. [2] [5]

Related Research Articles

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

Caladenia alata, commonly known as the fairy orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is found in south-eastern Australia and New Zealand. It is a ground orchid with small, usually short-lived flowers, which have relatively stiffly held petals and sepals and reddish-purple bars on the labellum.

Caladenia amoena, commonly known as the charming spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae, and is endemic to Victoria. It is a ground orchid which grows singly or in small groups, has a single dark green, hairy leaf and a single yellowish-green flower with red stripes. It is only known from a few sites and has been classified as Endangered.

Caladenia argocalla, commonly known as white beauty spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a ground orchid which grows singly or in loose groups and has a single, hairy leaf and one or two white to greenish-white flowers on a wiry, hairy stalk. The total population is thought to be between 2,000 and 4,500 and it is classed as an "Endangered" species.

Caladenia atradenia, commonly known as bronze fingers is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New Zealand. It is a ground orchid with a thin, hairy leaf and a thin wiry stem bearing one or two dark green or greenish red flowers with maroon or magenta markings.

Caladenia atrata, commonly known as dark caladenia is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a ground orchid with flowers that are bright white on the front, but densely covered with black glands on the back.

Caladenia atrochila is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and flowers that are whitish or pinkish on the front, but yellowish-green on the back and a cream-coloured labellum with dark red markings.

<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.

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

Caladenia australis, commonly known as southern spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria, although it was also found on one Bass Strait island on one occasion in 1968. It has a single hairy leaf and usually only one creamy-yellow flower with red streaks, the flower on a hairy stalk.

Caladenia bartlettii is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New Zealand. It is a ground orchid with a single narrow, hairy leaf and a thin wiry stem usually bearing one short-lived mauve to pink flower.

Caladenia brachyscapa is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is native to Victoria and possibly Clarke Island in Bass Strait. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and a reddish-pink flower with thick, black, club-like swellings on the petals and sepals. Although formally described in 1988 living specimens have not been observed since 1979.

Caladenia campbellii, commonly known as thickstem fairy fingers or thick-stem caladenia, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a ground orchid with a single, sparsely hairy leaf and one or two flowers that are pinkish on the outside and cream-coloured on the inside. The flowers are self-pollinating and short-lived.

<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.

Caladenia cleistantha is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-east of Australia. It is a ground orchid which occurs as solitary plants and has a singly hairy leaf and one or two cleistogamous flowers..

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 congesta</i> species of plant

Caladenia congesta, commonly known as black-tongue caladenia, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single, sparsely hairy leaf, and up to three bright pink flowers with the central part of the labellum completely covered with black calli. It is a widespread species but not common in any part of its range.

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

Caladenia cucullata, commonly known as the hooded caladenia, 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 up to seven white flowers with a purplish labellum.

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

Caladenia curtisepala, commonly known as short-hooded fingers, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf, and a single white to cream-coloured flower with a white labellum with red bands.

Caladenia dienema, commonly known as the windswept spider-orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a ground orchid with a single, hairy leaf and a single, variably-coloured, usually dark red flower on a thin, wiry stem 5–12 cm (2–5 in) high.

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

Caladenia echidnachila, commonly known as the fawn spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a ground orchid with a single, hairy leaf and one or two fawn-coloured flowers with thin red lines on the sepals and petals.

Caladenia helvina, commonly known as the summer spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and usually a single greenish-yellow to pale yellow flower with reddish teeth on the sides of the labellum and reddish calli along its mid-line.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Caladenia cracens". APNI. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Jones, David L. (1996). "Reinstatement of Caladenia alpina R.S.Rogers (Orchidaceae) as distinct from Caladenia lyallii Hook.F. and the description of Caladenia cracens, a related new species from southern Tasmania" (PDF). Muelleria. 9: 46–49. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  3. ↑ Wapstra, Mark; Wapstra, Hans; Wapstra, Annie; Roberts, Nina. "Flowering Times of Tasmanian Orchids" (PDF). Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "Knocklofty Reserve Flora - C". Friends of Knocklofty. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Caladenia cracens". The Understorey Network. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  6. ↑ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 131.
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