Caladenia hirta | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Orchidaceae |
Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
Tribe: | Diurideae |
Genus: | Caladenia |
Species: | C. hirta |
Binomial name | |
Caladenia hirta | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Caladenia hirta, commonly known as sugar candy orchid, [2] flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single broad, hairy leaf and up to six white or pink and white flowers with pink markings.
Caladenia hirta is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, sympodial herb with a single, erect or ground-hugging, broadly linear leaf 40–200 mm (1.6–7.9 in) long and 5–20 mm (0.20–0.79 in) wide. The plant is 10–60 mm (0.39–2.36 in) high with up to six white or pink and white flowers 40–200 mm (1.6–7.9 in) long and 30–50 mm (1.2–2.0 in) wide. The dorsal sepal is erect and curves forward, 15–35 mm (0.59–1.38 in) long and 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.138 in) wide, the lateral sepals 15–37 mm (0.59–1.46 in) long and 3–7 mm (0.12–0.28 in) wide, and the petals 10–35 mm (0.39–1.38 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide. The labellum is white, 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) wide with 4 rows of pink calli along its centre. Flowering time depends on subspecies. [3] [4] [5]
Caladenia hirta was first formally in 1840 by John Lindley in A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony . [6] [7]
In 2001, Stephen Hopper and Andrew Phillip Brown described two subspecies of Caladenia hirta in the journal Nuytsia and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:
Candy orchid is a common subspecies of C. hirta and grows in Banksia , tuart and peppermint woodland between Arrowsmith and Albany in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren bioregions of south-west Western Australia. [5] [9] Pink candy orchid is also common and widespread, often growing on granite outcrops, on the edges of salt lakes, and other moist areas, between Kalbarri and Israelite Bay in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Murchison, Swan Coastal Plain, Warren and Yalgoo bioregions. [5] [11]
Caladenia longicauda subspecies borealis, commonly known as daddy-long-legs 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 mostly white flowers with long, drooping sepals and petals.
Caladenia hirta subsp. hirta, commonly known as the sugar candy orchid or candy orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single leaf and up to three creamy-white or pink flowers with brownish tips and a brown back.
Caladenia hirta subsp. rosea, commonly known as the pink candy orchid or candy orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a widespread and common orchid which has a single leaf, up to three pale pink to deep pink flowers and often grows in clumps.
Caladenia longicauda subsp. albella, commonly known as the small-lipped white 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 four, mostly white flowers which have a pungent smell. It usually grows in seasonal swamps between Eneabba and Gingin.
Caladenia longicauda subsp. australora, commonly known as the southern white 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 mostly white, relatively small flowers. It grows in woodland and mallee on the south coast in and near the Fitzgerald River National Park.
Caladenia longicauda subsp. calcigena, commonly known as the coastal white 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 four mostly white flowers. It grows in coastal sand on the west coast and is distinguished from other subspecies growing in the same area, by its longer sepals and petals, small, narrow labellum and by the arrangement of the calli on its labellum.
Caladenia longicauda subsp. eminens, commonly known as the stark white 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 large, bright white flowers with long, broad, spreading lateral sepals and petals, a relatively broad labellum with short, narrow teeth. It is a relatively common orchid found in a broad band, mainly between Tenterden and Jerramungup.
Caladenia longicauda subsp. longicauda, commonly known as the white 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 four, mostly white flowers with long drooping, thread-like ends on the sepals and petals. It grows in woodland and forest.
Caladenia longicauda subsp. merrittii, commonly known as Merritt's white 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 large, mainly white flowers with very long, drooping lateral sepals and petals, and a white broad labellum with relatively short labellum teeth. It is one of the largest spider orchids.
Caladenia longicauda subsp. rigidula, commonly known as the rigid white spider orchid or island white 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 large, mainly white flowers with relatively short lateral sepals and petals. It is similar to the reclining white spider orchid but that species has smaller, cream-coloured flowers.
Caladenia longicauda subsp. extrema, commonly known as the late white spider orchid or Seaton Ross 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 mainly white flowers with long, mostly spreading lateral sepals and petals. It is a relatively rare orchid which is similar to the tangled white spider orchid but has larger flowers and a later flowering period.
Caladenia longicauda subsp. minima, commonly known as the little white 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 mainly white flowers with long, drooping lateral sepals and petals. It is a relatively rare orchid which is similar to the daddy-long-legs spider orchid but has smaller flowers and a more easterly distribution.
Caladenia nana subsp. nana, commonly known as the little pink fan orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a relatively small orchid with a single hairy leaf and up to three pink flowers with short, spreading, fan-like sepals and petals and which often grows in dense clumps.
Caladenia nana subsp. unita, commonly known as the pink fan 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 pink flowers with short, spreading, fan-like sepals and petals. It usually grows in areas that are swampy in winter and flowers in large number after summer bushfires.
Caladenia pendens subsp. pendens, commonly known as the pendant 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 relatively large, creamy-white flowers with long drooping petals and sepals and sometimes has a sickly-sweet scent.
Caladenia pholcoidea subsp. pholcoidea, commonly known as the Albany 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 four pale yellow flowers with long drooping petals and lateral sepals.
Caladenia reptans subsp. reptans, commonly known as the little pink fairy or dwarf pink fairy, 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 relatively small, pink flowers which have a labellum with three distinct lobes.
Caladenia reptans subsp. impensa, commonly known as the pale pink fairy, 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 pale pink flowers which have a labellum with three distinct lobes. It is similar to subspecies reptans except that its leaf is green on both sides and the flowers are larger and on a taller flowering spike.
Caladenia nana, commonly known as pink fan orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a clump-forming ground orchid with a single linear leaf and up to 6 pale pink to rose pink flowers.
Caladenia pendens is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, linear leaf and up to three cream-coloured to dark pinkish-maroon flowers with reddish-purple markings.
Media related to Caladenia hirta at Wikimedia Commons