Caladenia hirta subsp. rosea

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Pink candy orchid
Caladenia hirta rosea 02.jpg
Caladenia hirta subsp. rosea growing near Hyden
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Caladenia
Species:
Subspecies:
C. h. subsp. rosea
Trinomial name
Caladenia hirta subsp. rosea

Caladenia hirta subsp. rosea, commonly known as the pink candy orchid [1] or candy orchid, [2] 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.

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.

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.

Contents

C. hirta subsp. rosea - habit Caladenia hirta rosea 01.jpg
C. hirta subsp. rosea - habit
C. hirta subsp. rosea - close up of labellum Caladenia hirta rosea 03.jpg
C. hirta subsp. rosea - close up of labellum

Description

Caladenia hirta subsp. rosea is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and which usually grows in clumps. It has a single hairy leaf, 40–100 mm (2–4 in) long and 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide which lies flat on the ground. Up to three pale pink to deep pink flowers 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long and wide are borne on a spike 100–250 mm (4–10 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is erect and the lateral sepals are wider than the petals. The lateral sepals and petals spread slightly upwards, then arch downwards. The labellum is white to pink with its tip rolled downwards. There are many teeth along the sides of the labellum and four or more rows of pink calli along its centre. Flowering occurs from late June to September. It is distinguished from subspecies hirta by its clumping habit, smaller flowers earlier flowering time and more inland distribution. [1] [2] [3]

Terrestrial plant

A terrestrial plant is a plant that grows on, in, or from land. Other types of plants are aquatic, epiphytic and lithophytic.

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. Some sources cite perennial plants being plants that live more than three 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.

Taxonomy and naming

Caladenia hirta was first formally described by John Lindley in 1840 and the description was published in A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony [4] but in 2001 Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown described two subspecies, including subspecies rosea and the description of the two subspecies was published in Nuytsia . [5] The subspecies name (rosea) is a Latin word meaning “of roses" [6] referring to the colour of the flowers of this orchid. [2]

John Lindley English botanist, gardener and orchidologist (1799–1865)

John Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.

A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony book by John Lindley

"A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony", also known by its standard botanical abbreviation Sketch Veg. Swan R., is an 1839 article by John Lindley on the flora of the Swan River Colony. Nearly 300 new species were published in it, many of which are still current.

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.

Distribution and habitat

The pink candy orchid is widespread throughout the south-west bioregion, from Kalbarri in the north to Israelite Bay in the east. It grows in woodland and shrubland as well as in shallow soil on granite outcrops. [1] [2] [3] [7]

Granite A common type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock with granular structure

Granite is a common type of felsic intrusive igneous rock that is granular and phaneritic in texture. Granites can be predominantly white, pink, or gray in color, depending on their mineralogy. The word "granite" comes from the Latin granum, a grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a holocrystalline rock. Strictly speaking, granite is an igneous rock with between 20% and 60% quartz by volume, and at least 35% of the total feldspar consisting of alkali feldspar, although commonly the term "granite" is used to refer to a wider range of coarse-grained igneous rocks containing quartz and feldspar.

Conservation

Caladenia hirta subsp. rosea is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [7]

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 longicauda</i> species of plant

Caladenia longicauda is a species of plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its large leaf and by its up to five large, white flowers which have drooping sepals and petals with long, thickish brown "tails".

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

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.

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

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.

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

Caladenia flava subsp. sylvestris, commonly known as the karri cowslip 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 yellow and cream-coloured flowers which are white near the tips of the sepals and petals and marked with bright red or pink.

<i>Caladenia hirta</i> subsp. <i>hirta</i> subspecies of plant

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.

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

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.

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

Caladenia applanata subsp. applanata, commonly known as the broad-lipped spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a relatively common orchid with a single erect, hairy leaf and up to three flowers which may be red, cream, green or yellow and have a broad, flattened, red-tipped labellum.

Caladenia applanata subsp. erubescens, commonly known as the rose spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a relatively common orchid with a single erect, hairy leaf and up to three uniformly pink, sweet-smelling flowers which have a broad, flattened labellum.

Caladenia attingens subsp. effusa, commonly known as granite mantis orchid, is a subspecies of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, hairy leaf and one or two green, yellow and red flowers. It differs from the other subspecies of Caladenia attingens in having smaller flowers with lateral sepals which are not upswept and a labellum which is less than 15 mm (0.6 in) wide.

Caladenia longicauda subsp. insularis, commonly known as the 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 four yellowish-white flowers with long, mostly spreading lateral sepals and petals. It is a relatively rare, self-pollinating subspecies and often flowers which are in bud, open and finished are seen on a single plant.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Caladenia uliginosa subsp. uliginosa, commonly known as the dainty spider orchid, or darting 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 greenish-cream flowers which have a forward-projecting labellum with a dark red tip.

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

Caladenia uliginosa subsp. patulens, commonly known as the frail 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 greenish-cream flowers which have a forward-projecting, white labellum.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 87. ISBN   1877069124.
  2. 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. 144. ISBN   9780980296457.
  3. 1 2 Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 171. ISBN   9780646562322.
  4. "Caladenia hirta". APNI. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  5. "Caladenia hirta subsp. rosea". APNI. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  6. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 667.
  7. 1 2 "Caladenia hirta subsp. rosea". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.