Caladenia hildae
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| Golden caps | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Caladenia hildae growing in the Monaro | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Caladenia |
| Species: | C. hildae |
| Binomial name | |
| Caladenia hildae | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Caladenia hildae, commonly known as golden caps,[2] or honey caladenia[3] is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-east of mainland Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single leaf and up to four yellowish-brown to golden-brown flowers with darker tips on the sepals and petals.
Caladenia hildae is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single, sparsely hairy, linear leaf, 70–200 mm (3–8 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.04–0.1 in) wide. There are up to four flowers on a spike 80–200 mm (3–8 in) tall. The flowers are yellowish-brown to golden-brown flowers with darker tips. The sepals and petals have pointed, drooping tips. The dorsal sepal is erect, 9–11 mm (0.35–0.43 in) long and about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide and curves forward forming a hood over and around the sides of the column. The lateral sepals and petals are 11–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long and about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide. The labellum is egg-shaped, 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long, 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide with the sides turned up and the tip rolled under. The labellum is white with a dark purple, glandular tip, narrow white or yellow-tipped teeth on the sides and four crowded rows of calli along its mid-line. Flowering occurs in October and November.[3][2][4]
Taxonomy and naming
Caladenia hildae was first formally described in 1928 by Edward Pescott and William Nicholls and the description was published in The Victorian Naturalist.[5][6] The specific epithet (hildae) honours Hilda Elliott for her assistance in obtaining grant money.[6]