Silky blue orchid (Caladenia sericea)
Description
Caladenia sericea is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single soft, densely silky leaf, 50–120 mm (2–5 in) long and about 20 mm (0.8 in) wide. Up to four pale blue or mauve flowers 30–50 mm (1–2 in) long and 30–40 mm (1–2 in) wide are borne on a stalk 150–400 mm (6–20 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is erect, 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. The lateral sepals and petals have about the same dimensions as the dorsal sepal. The labellum is 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long, 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide and spotted with purple. The sides of the labellum curve upwards to surround the column, and the short tip curls downward with short teeth on its sides. There are four or six rows of purple calli along the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs from August to early October and is much more prolific after summer fires.
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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