''Caladenia necrophylla'', commonly known as late green-comb spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to South Australia. It has a single leaf and a single yellowish-green flower with red lines along 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 ...

s. It is unusual in that the leaf has completely withered before the flower opens, and sometimes even before the flower spike appears.

Description

''Caladenia necrophylla'' 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. Its leaf is hairy, dark green with reddish-purple blotches near its base, linear to lance-shaped, long and wide. A single yellowish-green flower with red lines along the sepals and petals and about across is borne on a stalk tall. The sepals and petals have light brown club-like glandular tips long. The dorsal sepal is erect, long and about wide. The lateral sepals are about the same length but slightly wider and the petals are long and wide. The lateral sepals and petals spread widely but curve downwards. The labellum is long, wide, green to yellowish-green with a dark red tip. The sides of the labellum curve upwards and have four or five thin teeth up to long and the tip of the labellum is curved under. There are four crowded rows of dark red calli up to longin the centre of the labellum. Flowering occurs from November to December.

Taxonomy and naming

''Caladenia necrophylla'' was first described in 1991 by David Jones from a specimen collected near Robe and the description was published in ''Australian Orchid Research''. 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 ...

(''necrophylla'') is derived from the Ancient Greek words ''nekros'' meaning "a dead body" and ''phyllon'' meaning "a leaf", referring to the leaf withering before the flower opens.

Distribution and habitat

The late green-comb spider orchid occurs in the south east of South Australia where it grows in mallee woodland.

Conservation

''Caladenia necrophylla'' is described as "rare" in South Australia.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q9673788 necrophylla Orchids of South Australia Endemic orchids of Australia Plants described in 1998 Taxa named by David L. Jones (botanist)