''Caladenia gladiolata'', commonly known as small bayonet spider orchid, smelly socks or simply bayonet orchid is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and one or two yellowish or brownish flowers with red stripes and unusual tips on the sepals and

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

Description

''Caladenia gladiolata'' is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous,

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

with an underground tuber and which has a single, hairy leaf, long and wide. One or two yellowish-green or brownish flowers with red markings and a strong, spicy odour are borne on a spike tall. The sepals and petals have thick, flat, bayonet-shaped glandular tips and curve downwards. The dorsal sepal is erect, long, about wide and curves forward. The lateral sepals are long, about wide and the petals are long and wide. The labellum is egg-shaped, long and wide with its end curving downwards. It is yellowish-green with a red tip and there are usually a few short teeth along its edges. There are four crowded rows of club-shaped, reddish-black calli along the centre line of the labellum. Flowering occurs from July to October.

Taxonomy and naming

''Caladenia gladiolata'' was first formally described by Richard Sanders Rogers in 1907 and the description was published in '' Transactions, proceedings and report, Royal Society of South Australia''. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''gladiolatus'') is derived from the Latin word ''gladius'' meaning "a sword".

Distribution and habitat

The small bayonet spider orchid occurs in the Flinders Ranges, Northern Lofty and Southern Lofty botanical regions of South Australia where it grows in shrubby or grassy woodland and forest in well-drained soil. It is currently only known from three or four populations.

Conservation

''Caladenia gladiolata'' is listed as "endangered" under the Australian Government '' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999''. The main threats to the species are weed invasion, grazing and lack of pollination.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15287524 gladiolata Plants described in 1810 Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of South Australia