''Caladenia reticulata'', commonly known as the veined spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria and South Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single, hairy leaf and usually only one yellowish-green and red flower.

Description

''Caladenia reticulata'' 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 a single hairy leaf, long, wide. A single yellowish-green and red to wholly red flower is borne on a spike tall. The sepals have dark, narrow, club-like glandular tips long. The dorsal sepal is erect at its base but curves forward and is long. The lateral sepals are long and wide and spreading. 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 slightly shorter and narrower than the lateral sepals and taper to narrow, thread-like tips. The labellum is red or yellowish-green with red markings and is long and wide. The sides of the labellum sometimes have teeth up to long and there are four or six rows of calli which are long near the base of the labellum but decreasing in size towards its tip. Flowering occurs from September to November.

Taxonomy and naming

''Caladenia reticulata'' was first formally described in 1882 by

Robert D. FitzGerald Robert David FitzGerald (or possibly Robert Desmond FitzGerald) (30 November 1830 – 12 August 1892) was an Irish-Australian surveyor, ornithologist, botanist and poet. Whilst working as a public servant FitzGerald's private passion and ability ...

and the description was published in '' The Gardeners' Chronicle''. 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 ...

(''reticulata'') is a Latin word meaning "netted" or "net-like".

Distribution and habitat

The veined spider orchid is widespread but localised in Victoria near Stawell,

Ararat Ararat or in Western Armenian Ararad may refer to: Personal names * Ararat ( hy, Արարատ), a common first name for Armenian males (pronounced Ararad in Western Armenian) * Ararat or Araratian, a common family name for Armenians (pronounced A ...

Horsham Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

and

Dunolly Dunolly is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Dunolly - Maryborough Road, in the Shire of Central Goldfields. At the 2016 census, Dunolly had a population of 893, down from 969 in 2006. History The town began during the Victorian Go ...

where it usually grows in open woodland. In South Australia it occurs in the Southern Lofty and Kangaroo Island bioregions, growing on forested slopes.

Conservation

''Caladenia reticulata'' is listed as "vulnerable" in Victoria.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q9673909 reticulata Plants described in 1882 Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of Victoria (state) Orchids of South Australia