''Caladenia tonellii'', commonly known as robust fingers, is a species of

orchid 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 ...

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 ...

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. It has a single, long, erect, hairy leaf and up to three bright pink flowers with brownish backs. It is a rare orchid which exists in low numbers.

Description

''Caladenia tonellii'' 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 which grows as single plants or in small, sometimes large groups. It has a single erect, sparsely hairy, dark green leaf, 120–250 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide and with a reddish-purple base. The leaf often extends through the group of flowers. Up to three bright pink flowers with greenish backs and 25–38 mm long are borne on a stalk 200–350 mm tall. The dorsal

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 ...

is 12–17 mm long, about 4 mm wide. The lateral sepals are 15–20 mm long, 3.5–6 mm wide, held horizontally and spread slightly apart from each other. 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 10–16 mm long, 3-4.5 mm wide and spread widely or turn slightly forwards.The labellum is 7–10 mm long and wide, white to pink with red bars and a yellow or orange tip. The sides of the labellum have lobes which are erect and partly enclose the

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

and the front part of the labellum has between 12 and 14 teeth on each side. The tip of the labellum is curved downward and there are about two irregular rows of calli up to 1 mm long, with orange or yellow tips, along the mid-line of the labellum between the lateral lobes. Flowering occurs from October to December.

Taxonomy and naming

''Caladenia tonellii'' was first described in 1998 by David Jones from a specimen collected near Latrobe 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 ...

(''tonellii'') honours Peter Tonelli, the former Manager of Parks and Reserves for the Latrobe Council and discoverer of this species.

Distribution and habitat

Robust fingers is restricted to a few populations in the north of Tasmania where it grows under dense shrubs in open forest.

Conservation

''Caladenia tonellii'' is classified as "critically endangered" under the Commonwealth Government '' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (EPBC) Act and "endangered' under the Tasmanian ''

Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 The ''Threatened Species Protection Act 1995'' (TSP Act), is an act of the Parliament of Tasmania that provides the statute relating to conservation of flora and fauna. Its long title is An Act to provide for the protection and management of th ...

''. When the species was given the EPBC listing, the total population of plants was estimated to be between 35 and 45 individuals. Since then, new populations have been discovered and an estimate in 2008 suggested that there are fewer than 250 mature plants. The population was probably much higher in the past but land clearing, especially for forestry, has dramatically reduced suitable habitat. Present threats to the species include inappropriate fire regimes, weed invasion and climate change.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3282202 Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of Tasmania tonellii Plants described in 1998 Endemic flora of Tasmania Taxa named by David L. Jones (botanist)