Caladenia amoena
Caladenia amoena, commonly known as charming spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae, and is endemic to Victoria, Australia. It is a ground orchid which grows singly or in small groups, has a single dark green, hairy leaf and a single yellowish-green flower with red stripes. It is only known from a few sites and has been classified as endangered.
Description
Caladenia amoena is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber with a single, densely hairy, lance-shaped leaf long and wide, often displaying purplish blotches near the base.A single flower is borne on a slender spike that stands between and tall. The dorsal sepal is erect, linear to narrowly lance-shaped, long and about wide, tapering towards a glandular tip about long. The lateral sepals are oblong to lance-shaped, long, wide, and terminate in similar glandular tips. The petals are slightly shorter, about long, and taper to a fine point. The labellum is heart-shaped, curving forward, long and wide when flattened. It has three lobes that are yellowish-green with reddish coloring in the central region. The central lobe has around seven pairs of broad marginal teeth, while the lateral lobes also display smaller teeth near the mid-lobe. Four rows of reddish, foot-shaped calli extend along the mid-line of the labellum, about long near the base and gradually decreasing in size toward the tip. The column is long and marked with reddish streaks. Flowering occurs between August and October.
Caladenia amoena is similar to C. concinna, but can be distinguished by its smaller flowers and slightly drooping petals and lateral sepals.