Caladenia georgei
Caladenia georgei, commonly known as the tuart spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and up to three whitish to yellowish-green flowers flushed with red and which have a white labellum with a red tip.
Description
Caladenia georgei is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single erect, hairy leaf, long and wide. Up to three flowers long and wide are borne on a stalk high. The flowers are whitish to yellowish-green, flushed with red while the lateral sepals have narrow, club-like, glandular tips. The lateral sepals and petals spread widely and curve downwards. The dorsal sepal is erect, long and about wide at the base, the lateral sepals are long and wide and the petals are long and wide. The labellum is long and wide and white with a red tip. The sides of the labellum have spreading, red-tipped teeth up to long and the tip of the labellum is curved downwards. There are four rows of red calli up to long, along the centre of the labellum. Flowering occurs in September and October.
Taxonomy and naming
Caladenia georgei was first described in 2001 by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Phillip Brown from a specimen collected near Bunbury and the description was published in Nuytsia. The specific epithet honours Alex George.
Distribution and habitat
Tuart spider orchid occurs between Yanchep and Busselton in the Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions where it grows in deep sandy soil in woodland, especially tuart woodland.
Conservation
Caladenia georgei is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.