Caladenia cretacea

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Stuart Mill spider orchid
Caladenia cretacea.jpg
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. cretacea
Binomial name
Caladenia cretacea
Synonyms [1]

Arachnorchis cretaceaD.L.Jones

Caladenia cretacea, commonly known as Stuart Mill spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to a small area in Victoria. It is a rare ground orchid with a single leaf and one or two white flowers on a hairy stalk.

Contents

Description

Caladenia cretacea is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with a spherical underground tuber and a single lance-shaped, reddish-green leaf, 5–12 cm (2–5 in) long and 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide. [2] [3]

One or two white or greyish-white flowers with reddish-brown tips are borne on a hairy spike 20–35 cm (8–10 in) tall. The flowers have a fragrance resembling hot metal. The petals and sepals are 3.5–6 cm (1–2 in) long and sometimes have a reddish line along their centres. The dorsal sepal is erect and the lateral sepals and petals spread widely but with drooping ends. The sepals are flat near their bases and 2.5–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide at the base and taper to a thread-like end with reddish-brown glandular hairs. The petals are similar to the sepals but slightly shorter. The labellum is narrow triangular to lance-shaped, 14–16 mm (0.55–0.63 in) long and 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide when flattened and curves downward at the tip. It is cream-coloured with reddish lines. The sides of the labellum turn upwards and have reddish a fringe of linear teeth mostly 0.5–2 mm (0.02–0.08 in) long but decreasing in size towards the front. There are about four rows of foot-shaped calli along the centre of the labellum, decreasing in size towards the front. Flowering occurs between late August and early October. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described by David L. Jones in 2006 and given the name Arachnorchis cretacea. The description was published in Australian Orchid Research, based on a specimen found in the Dalyenong Nature Conservation Reserve. [4] In 2007, Gary Backhouse changed the name to Caladenia cretacea, publishing the name change in The Victorian Naturalist. [1] The specific epithet (cretacea) is a Latin word meaning "chalky", [5] referring to the dull white to grey colour of the flowers of this orchid. [6]

Distribution and habitat

Stuart Mill spider orchid grows in eucalypt forest with a heathy understorey. It is only known from the John Colahan Griffin Nature Reserve near Stuart Mill. [2] [3] [7]

Conservation

Caladenia cretacea is listed as "Endangered" under the Victorian Government Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 . A successful program of propagation and reintroduction of the species has been undertaken, 70 of the 124 individuals planted having survived as at 2016. The main threats to the species are weed invasion and grazing by native animals and rabbits and as "Critically Endangered" under the Commonwealth Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act. [3] [7]

Related Research Articles

Caladenia aestiva, commonly known as summer spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a ground orchid which grows singly or in small groups in the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. It has one or two greenish-yellow to pale yellow flowers, often while the single, hairy leaf withers.

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.

<i>Caladenia ampla</i> Species of orchid

Caladenia ampla, commonly known as the dainty spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and a single flower which is sometimes yellowish-green flower with red stripes and sometimes entirely red.

Caladenia ancylosa, commonly known as the Genoa spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and a single cream-coloured flower with red markings.

<i>Caladenia brumalis</i> Species of orchid

Caladenia brumalis, commonly known as winter spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It has an erect, hairy leaf and usually a single white to pinkish flower with darker markings. It is only found in a few places due to habitat loss and is considered to be vulnerable.

<i>Caladenia clavescens</i> Species of orchid

Caladenia clavescens is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to central Victoria in Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and usually a single dark red to maroon flower.

Caladenia cremna, commonly known as Don's spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to a small area in Victoria. It is a rare ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and a single yellow flower with red striations.

<i>Caladenia cruciformis</i> Species of orchid

Caladenia cruciformis, commonly known as the crucifix spider orchid, or red cross spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to a small area in Victoria. It is a rare ground orchid with a single, sparsely hairy leaf and a single dark red to crimson flower with blackish tips.

Caladenia denticulata subsp. rubella, commonly known as the clumped spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, hairy leaf and one or two dull or pinkish red flowers with prominent dull red markings and with a white labellum with red markings.

<i>Caladenia echidnachila</i> Species of orchid

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 leptochila subsp. dentata, commonly known as the toothed spider orchid, narrow-lipped spider-orchid or narrow-lipped caladenia, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It has a single leaf and one or two mostly reddish-brown flowers. It differs from subspecies leptochila in the colour of its flowers, toothed edges to its labellum, and its distribution.

Caladenia armata is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the Australian Capital Territory. It has a single dull green leaf with purple blotches near the base, and a single cream-coloured to pink flower with red to maroon markings. It is only known from a single population containing fewer than ten plants.

Caladenia branwhitei, commonly known as the Bethungra spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to southern New South Wales. It has a single dull green leaf and one or two, usually dark red to maroon-coloured flowers. It is only known from three areas near Bethungra where it grows in ironbark forest.

Caladenia cadyi is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south coast of New South Wales. It has a single dull green leaf with purple blotches near the base, and a single greenish cream to cream flower with pink to reddish markings. It was only known from a single population which has been bulldozed and replaced with a pine plantation so that it is now probably extinct.

Caladenia ensigera is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single leaf and one or two greenish cream to whitish green flowers and is only known from Alligator Gorge in the Mount Remarkable National Park.

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.

Caladenia whiteheadii is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and a single pale yellow flower with thick reddish tips on the sepals and petals. It is only known from a single hill near Eugowra.

Caladenia flindersica is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single leaf and one or two cream-coloured flowers with thin dark red to blackish tips on the petals and sepals. It is only known from Alligator Gorge in the Mount Remarkable National Park.

Caladenia zephyra is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single, densely hairy leaf and a single cream-coloured to very pale yellow flower with blackish glandular hairs on the sepals and petals. It occurs on the Eyre Peninsula but may have a wider distribution.

Caladenia intuta is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to two small areas on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and one or two white flowers which sometimes have faint reddish lines.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Caladenia cretacea". APNI. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Jeanes, Jeffrey. "Caladenia cretacea". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: Vicflora. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "National Recovery Plan for Fifteen Threatened Orchids in South-eastern Australia" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  4. "Arachnorchis cretacea". APNI. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  5. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 238.
  6. Jones, David L. (2006). "New taxa of Australian Orchidaceae". Australian Orchid Research. 5: 58–59.
  7. 1 2 "Rare Victorian orchids". Bush Heritage Australia. Retrieved 6 January 2017.