Drakaea isolata (Drakaea isolata)
Description
Drakaea isolata is similar to others in the genus in that it has a single, ground hugging leaf and an underground tuber. In this case, the leaf is heart shaped, about 12 millimetres (0.5 in) in diameter and is often withered by the time the flower opens. The leaf is covered with tiny lumps or short hairs, blue-grey with darker lines radiating from the attachment to the stem. The stem is 10–30 centimetres (4–10 in) long and the stalk of the single flower is 10–15 millimetres (0.4–0.6 in) long.The flower is also similar to those of other hammer orchids in that the labellum resembles a flightless female thynnid wasp, except that in this species the column is pointed, the labellum lacks an upturned end and the main body of the labellum has long hairs and a longer narrow "neck". The sepal at the back of the flower is 8–12 millimetres (0.3–0.5 in) long and the two at the sides are 6–8 millimetres (0.2–0.3 in). The petals are also 6–8 millimetres (0.2–0.3 in) long. The insect-like labellum has a "head" about one-third long as the "body" and has a pair of dark projections near its base . The rest of the labellum (representing the female "body" of the insect) is dark maroon in colour, glabrous and not swollen as in Drakaea glyptodon. The flower is similar to that of Drakaea confluens but is smaller and more uniform in colour. Flowers appear from September to the middle of October.
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: Drakaea
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