Caladenia testacea
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| Honey caps | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In bushland near Welby | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Caladenia |
| Species: | C. testacea |
| Binomial name | |
| Caladenia testacea | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Caladenia testacea, commonly known as honey caps,[2] or honey caladenia[3] is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a ground orchid with a single, sparsely hairy leaf and up to three white to yellowish-green flowers with brownish tips and a darker back.
Caladenia testacea is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single, sparsely hairy leaf, 50–200 mm long and 2.5–8 mm wide. Up to three white to yellowish-green flowers 100–150 mm long and 140–170 mm wide are borne on a spike 80–200 mm tall. The sepals and petals have brownish tips and are darker on their backs. The dorsal sepal curves forward, forming a hood over the column and is 8–10 mm long and about 3 mm wide. The lateral sepals are 10–12 mm long, about 3 mm wide and spread away from each other. The petals are 8–11 mm long, about 2 mm wide and spread nearly horizontally. The labellum is white, 5–6 mm long and about 4 mm wide. The sides of the labellum turn upwards and have short club-shaped teeth with yellow or purple heads and there are four crowded rows of dark dark purple, club-shaped calli along the centre of the labellum. Flowering occurs from October to November and in some areas, the flowers have a sweet honey scent.[2][3]
Taxonomy and naming
Caladenia testacea was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae.[1][4] The specific epithet (testacea) is a Latin word meaning "with a shell".[5]