Caladenia fuscata
Caladenia fuscata, commonly known as dusky fingers, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern and south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It is a small ground orchid found in eucalyptus woodland and which flowers in September and October.
Description
Caladenia fuscata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single, sparsely hairy, narrow linear leaf, long and wide.The single white or pink flower is borne on a spike up to high. The dorsal sepal is erect, linear in shape, long, wide with a pointed end. The lateral sepals and petals are usually long, about wide, with their outer surfaces densely covered with a band of short, reddish-brown glandular hairs. The labellum is egg-shaped, about long and wide, white or pinkish with three lobes and prominent red stripes. The mid-lobe is small and pointed with small teeth on the edge and several rows of yellow-tipped calli in the centre. The lateral lobes are prominent, broad and protrude past the mid-lobe. The column is long, curves inwards and has narrow wings. Flowering occurs in September and October and is followed by a non-fleshy, dehiscent capsule containing a large number of seeds. It is similar to Caladenia carnea but is distinguished from it by its single flower, earlier flowering period and red stripes on the labellum and column.