Caladenia caudata (Caladenia caudata)
Description
Caladenia caudata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single densely hairy, broad linear to lance-shaped leaf. The leaf is 10–16 cm (4–6 in) long, 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide and is reddish or purplish near its base. It emerges in late autumn following rains. There are up to four flowers 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) in diameter borne on a hairy spike 8–15 cm (3–6 in) high. The flowers are red to pinkish, sometimes with yellowish green but always have dark red to almost black glandular tips on the sepals and petals. The dorsal sepal is 50–60 mm (2.0–2.4 in) long, about 2.5 mm (0.1 in) wide and erect near the base but then curves forward. The lateral sepals are 35–45 mm (1–2 in) long, about 3.5 mm (0.1 in) wide, egg-shaped to lance-shaped near their base but then tapering, and spread widely with their tips drooping slightly. The petals are slightly shorter and narrower. The labellum is heart-shaped, 15–18 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long, 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide and reddish to cream-coloured with a reddish-black tip. It is divided into three lobes with 7 to 9 pairs of narrow linear teeth about 2 mm (0.08 in) long on the lateral lobes. The middle lobe of the labellum is strongly curved downwards and has many short teeth on its edges. There are four to six irregular rows of dark red calli in the centre of the labellum. The column is 11–13 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long and 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide. In some areas, flowering occurs as early as mid-August but in other places starts as late as mid-November, but flowers are rarely open for more than about a week.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Asparagales
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Family: Orchidaceae
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Genus: Caladenia
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