''Caladenia ovata'', commonly known as the Kangaroo Island spider orchid is a plant in the orchid family

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and one or two red flowers, sometimes with yellow patches. It is only found on Kangaroo Island and nearby Fleurieu Peninsula.

Description

''Caladenia ovata'' is a terrestrial,

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

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 Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

and a single, very hairy linear leaf, long and wide. One or two red or yellow and red flowers are borne on a spike tall. The

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s have fine, club-like glandular tips. The dorsal sepal is long, about wide, turned backwards near it base, then erect or curving forwards. The lateral sepals are long, about wide and spread widely and horizontally near their bases, then turn upwards. The

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 are long, about wide and also spread upwards. The labellum is long, wide and red or yellow and red with dark red lines. The sides of the labellum lack teeth and the tip is rolled under. There are four rows of widely spaced calli along the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs from September to November but rarely occurs except after fire.

Taxonomy and naming

''Caladenia ovata'' was first formally described in 1909 by

Richard Rogers Richard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside (23 July 1933 – 18 December 2021) was a British architect noted for his modernist and Functionalism (architecture), functionalist designs in high-tech architecture. He was a senior partner a ...

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 ...

(''ovata'') is a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word meaning "egg-shaped".

Distribution and habitat

Kangaroo Island spider orchid occurs on Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieu Peninsula where it grows singly or in small clumps in thick scrub, often in association with '' Eucalyptus viminalis''.

Conservation

''Caladenia ovata'' is classified as "vulnerable" under the Commonwealth Government '' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (EPBC) Act and as "Endangered" under the South Australian '' National Parks and Wildlife Act''. The main threats are weed invasion, habitat degradation and unsuitable fire regimes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q9673815 ovata Plants described in 1909 Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of South Australia