Caladenia longifimbriata
Caladenia longifimbriata, commonly known as the fringed spider orchid or green-comb spider orchid, is a rare species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and one or two green, red and white flowers with a long labellum fringe and only occurs in a few scattered populations between Jerramungup and Esperance.
Description
Caladenia longifimbriata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single erect, hairy leaf, long and wide. One or two green, red and white flowers long and wide are borne on a stalk tall. The sepals and have thin brown, club-like glandular tips long. The dorsal sepal is erect, long and wide. The lateral sepals are long, wide and downturned near the base but deflected upwards nearer the tip. The petals are long and wide and spread widely or slightly downwards. The labellum is long and wide and green and white with a red tip and is delicately hinged to the column. The sides of the labellum have thin teeth up to long and there are four or more rows of densely crowded, red calli up to long in the centre. Flowering occurs from August to September.
Taxonomy and naming
Caladenia longifimbriata was first described in 2001 by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Phillip Brown from a specimen collected near Jerramungup and the description was published in Nuytsia. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin words longus meaning "long" and fimbriatus meaning "fringed" or "fibrous" in reference to the long labellum fringe.
Distribution and habitat
Fringed spider orchid occurs in scattered populations between Jerramungup and Esperance in the Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions where it grows in mallee woodland near temporary streams.
Conservation
Caladenia fimbriata is classified as "Priority One" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife, meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.