Orangetip fingers
Caladenia aurantiaca growing near Port Albert
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Caladenia
Species:
C. aurantiaca
Binomial name
Caladenia aurantiaca
Synonyms[1]

Petalochilus aurantiacus (R.S.Rogers) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem

Caladenia aurantiaca, commonly known as orangetip fingers, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria, although it is also found on one Bass Strait island. It is a slender ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and one or two short-lived, orange-tipped, white flowers on a thin, wiry spike.

Description

Caladenia aurantiaca is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single hairy leaf, 3–10 cm (1–4 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) wide.[2][3]

There are one or two white, orange-tipped flowers on a thin, wiry, sparsely hairy spike 5–22 cm (2–9 in) high, each flower 15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) wide. The dorsal sepal is erect in the lower part but curves forward, partly covering the column. It is oblong, 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The lateral sepals are narrow lance-shaped, 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long, 2.5 mm (0.1 in) wide, turn downwards and are usually parallel to each other. The petals are about the same size as the sepals and spread widely or turn downwards. The labellum is egg-shaped, about 5 mm (0.2 in) long, 6 mm (0.2 in) wide with three lobes. The lateral lobes are erect, surround the column and have slightly wavy edges. The mid-lobe is triangular, curves downward with up to 3 pairs of short, orange calli along its edge. There are two rows of calli along the centre of the labellum. The column is pale green is broad with broad wings. Flowering occurs from August to November but the flowers are self-pollinating and are only open for up to four days.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described by Richard Rogers in 1922 and given the name Caladenia carnea var. aurantica. The description was published in Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia and the type specimen was collected near Alberton.[4][5] In 1947, Herman Rupp raised it to species level and published the change in Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales.[1][6] The specific epithet (aurantiaca) is a Neo-Latin word meaning "orange".[7]

Distribution and habitat

Caladenia aurantiaca grows in near-coastal areas east of Melbourne in moist heath on sandy soils. It has also been seen on Deal Island in Bass Strait.[2][3]

Conservation

This species is classified as "rare" in Victoria and as Endangered under the Tasmanian "Threatened Species Protection Act 1995".[2][3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Caladenia aurantiaca". APNI. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Jeanes, Jeffrey. "Caladenia aurantiaca". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: Vicflora. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Caladenia aurantica" (PDF). Government of Tasmania Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  4. ↑ "Caladenia carnea var. aurantiaca". APNI. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  5. ↑ Rogers, Richard Sanders (1922). "Contributions to the Orchidology of Australia". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia. 46: 154. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  6. ↑ Rupp, Hermann (1947). "A Review of the Species Caladenia carnea R.Br. (Orchidaceae)". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 71: 280. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 207.
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