Caladenia dundasiae

Last updated

Patricia's spider orchid
Status DECF P1.svg
Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Caladenia
Species:
C. dundasiae
Binomial name
Caladenia dundasiae
Synonyms
  • Calonemorchis dundasiae(Hopper & A.P.Br.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.
  • Calonema dundasiae(Hopper & A.P.Br.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.
  • Jonesiopsis dundasiae(Hopper & A.P.Br.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.

Caladenia dundasiae, commonly known as the Patricia's spider orchid and Dundas spider orchid is a species of orchid endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rare orchid with a single hairy leaf and one or two, usually red flowers with thin, stiffly-held lateral sepals and petals.

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.

Western Australia state in Australia

Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, and the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Australia is Australia's largest state, with a total land area of 2,529,875 square kilometres, and the second-largest country subdivision in the world, surpassed only by Russia's Sakha Republic. The state has about 2.6 million inhabitants – around 11 percent of the national total – of whom the vast majority live in the south-west corner, 79 per cent of the population living in the Perth area, leaving the remainder of the state sparsely populated.

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.

Contents

Description

Caladenia dundasiae has a single erect, hairy leaf, 45–150 mm (2–6 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide. One or two flowers 60–80 mm (2–3 in) wide are borne on a stalk 150–350 mm (6–10 in) high. The flowers are red or sometimes pink or cream-coloured. The dorsal sepal is erect, 55–65 mm (2–3 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide at the base. The lateral sepals are a similar size to the dorsal sepal but are widely separated and held stiffly at a downward angle. The petals are similar to the lateral sepals but slightly shorter and narrower. The labellum is 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide and red with a white or cream-coloured base and short, forward-facing teeth on its sides. There are two rows of red and white calli along the centre of the labellum. Flowering occurs from July to August. [2] [3] [4]

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.

This species is similar to C. erythrochila but has more stiffly-held and shorter sepals and petals. [3]

Caladenia erythrochila, commonly known as the Lake Muir spider orchid, Lake Muir blood spider orchid, Harry's little red spider orchid and Lake Muir blood orchid is a species of orchid endemic to a small area in the southern corner of the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and long, wispy, thread-like sepals and petals. Most of the flower parts are blood red, although there are often white marks on the labellum.

Taxonomy and naming

Caladenia dundasiae was first described by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown in 2001 in from a specimen collected near the Watheroo. The description was published in Nuytsia . [1] The specific epithet (dundasiae) honours the botanical artist, Patricia Dundas. [3] [5]

Stephen Donald Hopper AC FLS FTSE is a Western Australian botanist, graduated in Biology, specialising in conservation biology and vascular plants. He has written eight books, and has over 200 publications to his name. He was Director of Kings Park in Perth for seven years, and CEO of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority for five. He is currently Foundation Professor of Plant Conservation Biology at The University of Western Australia. He was Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew from 2006 to 2012.

Andrew Phillip Brown is a conservation biologist and taxonomist at the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation. He is also curator of Orchidaceae and Myoporaceae at the Western Australian Herbarium and a foundation member of the Australian Orchid Foundation and the Western Australia Native Orchid Study and Conservation Group. He is the author of more than 100 journal articles and seven books on the flora of Western Australia including a field guide to the eremophilas of that state.

Watheroo, Western Australia Town in Western Australia

Watheroo is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. In 2016 it had 181 residents according to the 2016 census census.

Distribution and habitat

Patricia's spider orchid is only known from a small area near Watheroo where it grows in York gum and wandoo woodland in the Avon Wheatbelt and Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic regions. [2] [3] [4] [6]

<i>Eucalyptus loxophleba</i> species of plant

Eucalyptus loxophleba, known as yandee or York gum, is a species of tree which is endemic to Western Australia.

<i>Eucalyptus wandoo</i> species of tree found in southwest Western Australia

Eucalyptus wandoo, commonly known as wandoo or white gum, is a medium-sized tree widely distributed in southwest Western Australia. The Noongar names for the tree are Dooto, Wandoo, Warrnt or Wornt.

Avon Wheatbelt

The Avon Wheatbelt is an Australian bioregion in Western Australia and part of the larger Southwest Australia savanna ecoregion.

Conservation

Caladenia dundasiae is classified as "Priority One" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife, [6] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk. [7]

The Declared Rare and Priority Flora List is the system by which Western Australia's conservation flora are given a priority. Developed by the Government of Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation, it is used extensively within the department, including the Western Australian Herbarium. The herbarium's journal, Nuytsia, which has published over a quarter of the state's conservation taxa, requires a conservation status to be included in all publications of new Western Australian taxa that appear to be rare or endangered.

Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia) department of the Government of Western Australia

The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) was the department of the Government of Western Australia responsible for managing lands described in the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 and implementing the state's conservation and environment legislation and regulations. The minister responsible for the department was the Minister for the Environment.

Related Research Articles

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

Caladenia paludosa, commonly known as the swamp spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, hairy leaf and up to three red, greenish-yellow and cream-coloured flowers. It mostly grows in dense scrub and is one of the last of the similar spider orchids to flower.

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

Caladenia cruscula, commonly known as the reclining spider orchid is a species of orchid endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single hairy leaf and a single cream-coloured flower with a long red fringe on the sides of its labellum.

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

Caladenia ensata, commonly known as the stumpy spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a common orchid within its natural range and has a single, hairy leaf and up to three pale yellow and red flowers which have short but thick, fleshy glandular tips.

Caladenia erythronema, commonly known as the red thread spider orchid, and Nyabing spider orchid is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single hairy leaf and up to three red, yellow or cream-coloured flowers with dangling, thread-like sepals and petals and a small labellum.

Caladenia evanescens, commonly known as the semaphore spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small area near Albany in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rare species with a single, hairy leaf and one or two cream-coloured to greenish-cream flowers.

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

Caladenia excelsa, commonly known as the giant spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rare species with a single, hairy leaf and up to three cream-coloured to greenish-cream flowers with long, drooping sepals and petals. It is one of the tallest spider orchids in Western Australia and, with Caladenia splendens, has the largest flowers of any Western Australian orchid.

Caladenia exilis subsp. vanleeuwenii, commonly known as the Moora spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a relatively rare spider orchid with a single erect, hairy leaf and up to three variably-coloured flowers with a small white, red-striped labellum. It differes from subspecies exilis in having variably coloured flowers, different growth habit, earlier flowering and different habitat.

Caladenia harringtoniae, commonly known as the pink spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and up to three pale to deep pink flowers which have a cream-coloured labellum with a pink tip.

Caladenia hiemalis, commonly known as the dwarf common spider orchid is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and one or two, cream-coloured flowers with a small, red-striped labellum. It has an early flowering period and its flowering is stimulated by summer fires.

Caladenia hoffmanii, commonly known as Hoffman's spider orchid is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and one or two, greenish-yellow, red and white flowers which have a greenish-yellow labellum with a red tip. It is distinguished from the Pingaring spider orchid by small differences in the labellum and more northerly distribution.

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

Caladenia horistes, commonly known as the cream spider orchid is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and one or two, creamy-yellow flowers which have a red-striped labellum and long, dark, thread-like tips on the sepals and petals.

Caladenia luteola, commonly known as the lemon spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and up to three lemon-yellow flowers with red stripes on the labellum. It is only known from two small populations near Woodanilling.

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

Caladenia microchila, commonly known as the western wispy spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is relatively common orchid with a single erect, hairy leaf and up to three wispy white flowers with narrow lateral sepals and petals and a white labellum with red markings.

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

Caladenia multiclavia, commonly known as the lazy spider orchid is a species of orchid, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and one or two greenish-yellow, red and cream-coloured flowers resembling a reclining spider. Although it usually only has a single flower, it often grows in clumps of up to six plants.

Caladenia nobilis, commonly known as the noble spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single hairy leaf and one or two large white flowers with a red-marked labellum.

<i>Caladenia pendens</i> subsp. <i>talbotii</i> subspecies of plant

Caladenia pendens subsp. talbotii, commonly known as Talbot's spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single hairy leaf and one or two white, red and yellow flowers with long drooping petals and sepals and sometimes has a citrus-like scent.

Caladenia pholcoidea subsp. augustensis, commonly known as the Augustus spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rare orchid with a single hairy leaf and up to three mostly white flowers with long spreading petals and lateral sepals.

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

Caladenia polychroma, commonly known as the Joseph's spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, hairy leaf and one or two relatively large and colourful but smelly flowers.

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

Caladenia serotina, commonly known as the Christmas spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, hairy leaf and up to three white to cream-coloured and red flowers, although the relative amount of each is variable. It is one of the later-flowering spider orchids and occurs in the far south-west corner of the state.

Caladenia xantha, commonly known as the primrose spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, hairy leaf and up to three yellow flowers with a cream-coloured, brown-striped labellum.

References

  1. 1 2 "Caladenia dundasiae". APNI. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 57. ISBN   9780646562322.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 58. ISBN   9780980296457.
  4. 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. 102. ISBN   1877069124.
  5. "Dundas, Patricia (1952 - )". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Caladenia dundasiae". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  7. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 27 January 2017.