Mountain spider orchid | |
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Caladenia montana growing in Namadgi National Park | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Orchidaceae |
Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
Tribe: | Diurideae |
Genus: | Caladenia |
Species: | C. montana |
Binomial name | |
Caladenia montana | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Caladenia montana, commonly known as the mountain spider orchid is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. It is a ground orchid with a single leaf and a single greenish-cream to cream flower, sometimes with reddish markings. It only grows in high montane forests.
Caladenia montana is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single leaf, 80–200 mm (3–8 in) long and 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) wide. A single greenish-cream to cream-coloured flower, sometimes with red markings, is borne on a spike 100–250 mm (4–10 in) tall. The flowers is 40–60 mm (1.6–2.4 in) wide. The sepals have club-like, dark red or brownish glandular tips 8–15 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long. The dorsal sepal is 30–40 mm (1–2 in) long, 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide and curved forwards. The lateral sepals are 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in) long, 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) wide and turn downwards. The petals are 25–33 mm (0.98–1.3 in) long, about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide and arranged like the lateral sepals. The labellum is 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long, 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide and mostly dark red with its sides turned up and the tip curled under. Each side of the labellum has six to eight dark red teeth up to 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long and there are four or six well-spaced rows of dark red calli along its mid-line. Flowering occurs from November to January. [2] [3] [4]
Caladenia montana was first formally described in 1991 by Geoffrey Carr and the description was published in Indigenous Flora and Fauna Association Miscellaneous Paper 1. [1] The specific epithet (montana) is a Latin word meaning "of mountains". [5]
The mountain spider orchid grows in montane forest at altitudes of between 700 and 1,000 m (2,000 and 3,000 ft) in the southern tablelands of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and in the Victorian high country. [2] [3] [4]
Caladenia montana is listed as "vulnerable" under the New South Wales Government Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 . The main threats to the species are weed invasion, trampling and grazing by cattle, wild horses and pigs. [4]
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.
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 amnicola, commonly known as the Bundarra spider orchid is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to a small area in New South Wales. It has a single leaf and usually only one greenish-yellow flower with red markings and is only known from a single population.
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 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. exilis, commonly known as the salt lake spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a relatively common spider orchid with a single erect, hairy leaf and up to three white to greenish-cream flowers with a small white, red-striped labellum.
Caladenia fitzgeraldii, commonly known as Fitzgerald's spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and usually only one greenish-yellow and red flower.
Caladenia huegelii, commonly known as the grand 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 relatively large red, green and cream-coloured flowers which have "split-hairs" on the sides of the labellum.
Caladenia leptoclavia, commonly known as the thin-clubbed spider orchid, 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 cream-coloured to yellow flower with dark reddish stripes.
Caladenia lindleyana, commonly known as the Lindley's spider orchid is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It has a single, hairy leaf and one or two greenish-yellow flowers tinged with red and with thin dark tips on the sepals. Very few plants of this species survive with only one plant, which has not been seen since 1997, protected in a reserve.
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 osmera is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single leaf and one or two greenish-cream flowers with pink stripes and which has a sharp odour resembling burnt plastic.
Caladenia richardsiorum, commonly known as the little dip spider orchid, Richards' spider orchid or robe spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single erect, hairy leaf and usually only one yellowish-green flower. It is similar to the endangered Mellblom's spider orchid but has a much larger leaf and the petals lack glandular tips.
Caladenia septuosa, commonly known as the Koppio spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single erect, sparsely hairy leaf and usually only one greenish-cream flower with red stripes along the sepals and petals.
Caladenia stellata, commonly known as the starry spider orchid 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 usually only one greenish-cream flower with red markings.
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.
Caladenia woolcockiorum, commonly known as Woolcock's spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to South Australia. It has a single, long, erect, hairy leaf and one or two cream-coloured to greenish-yellow flowers recognised by their long, drooping lateral sepals and petals with their ends having dark glandular tips and by the red-tipped labellum.
Caladenia douglasiorum 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 a single greenish-cream to yellowish flower with red marks.
Caladenia rileyi, commonly known as the Gillenbah spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a ground orchid with a single leaf and a single yellowish-green and red flower.
Caladenia subtilis, commonly known as the delicate spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single leaf and a single greenish to cream-coloured flower with dark red tips on the sepals.