Caladenia ultima
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Late spider orchid | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Caladenia |
| Species: | C. ultima |
| Binomial name | |
| Caladenia ultima | |
| Synonyms | |
Caladenia ultima, commonly known as the late spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, hairy leaf and up to three creamy-yellow flowers with a red-striped labellum. It is one of the last spiders orchids to flower each year.
Caladenia ultima is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single erect, hairy leaf, 60–150 mm long and 2–4 mm wide. Up to three creamy yellow or pale lemon-yellow flowers 80–110 mm long and 60–90 mm wide are borne on a stalk 150–250 mm tall. The sepals have long, brown, thread-like tips. The dorsal sepal is erect, 60–80 mm long and about 2 mm wide. The lateral sepals are 60–80 mm long, about 3 mm wide and turn stiffly downwards. The petals are 50–75 mm long, 2–3 mm wide and turn slightly upwards. The labellum is 12–15 mm long, 7–9 mm wide and creamy-white with red stripes and blotches with the tip curled downwards. The sides of the labellum are serrated and there are two rows of anvil-shaped, white or creamy-white calli along the mid-line. Flowering occurs from late October to early December, making it one of the last spider orchids to flower each year.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy and naming
Caladenia ultima was first formally described in 2001 by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Phillip Brown from a specimen collected in the Stirling Range and the description was published in Nuytsia.[1] The specific epithet (ultima) is a Latin word meaning "farthest" or "last"[5] referring to the late flowering of this orchid.[3]