Caladenia pallida
Caladenia pallida, commonly known as the rosy spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It has a single dark green, hairy leaf and one or two yellowish to bright, rosy pink flowers. Individual plants of this species have not been seen since 1987.
Description
Caladenia pallida is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with a small underground tuber. It has a single, dark green, very hairy, lance-shaped leaf, long and wide. One or two yellowish to bright, rosy pink flowers about across are borne on a stalk tall. The sepals have dark glandular tips long. The dorsal sepal is erect, long and wide. The lateral sepals are long, wide and spread widely and stiffly but with drooping tips. The petals are long and about wide, and arranged like the lateral sepals. The labellum is long, wide and has its tip rolled under. There are five to eight linear teeth up to long on each side of the labellum and four rows of hockey stick-shaped calli along its mid-line. Flowering occurs in October and November.
Taxonomy and naming
Caladenia pallida was first described in 1840 by John Lindley and the description was published in The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants. The specific epithet is a Latin word meaning "ashen", "pale" or "wan".
Distribution and habitat
The rosy spider orchid has mostly been recorded in the central north and north-west of Tasmania, growing in open forest although the last sighting of the species was in 1987 on private land. Earlier collections were made between Hobart and New Norfolk.
Conservation
Caladenia pallida is classified as "Critically Endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as "Endangered" under the Tasmanian Government Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. The main threats to the species are thought to be accidental damage due to the small population size, climate change and inappropriate fire regimes.