Caladenia amnicola explained

Caladenia amnicola, commonly known as the Bundarra spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to a small area in New South Wales. It has a single leaf and usually only one greenish-yellow flower with red markings and is only known from a single population.

Description

Caladenia amnicola is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and which has a single leaf, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. Usually only a single flower is borne on a stalk NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The flower is green or greenish-yellow with red lines and is NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The dorsal sepal is erect, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide while the lateral sepals are a similar size but spread widely with their ends turned downwards. The petals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The sepals and petals narrow to a thread-like end covered with glandular hairs for NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2. The labellum is dark green with a maroon tip, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The labellum curves forward and downwards and there are four to seven pairs of thin teeth up to 4sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long on its sides. The mid-line of the labellum has four to six rows of crowded reddish calli. Flowering occurs from November to January.[1]

Taxonomy and naming

Caladenia amnicola was first formally described by David L. Jones in 1997 and the description was published in The Orchadian from a specimen collected 20sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 west of Armidale near the road to Bundarra.[2] The specific epithet (amnicola) is a Latin word meaning "inhabitant of or by a river".[3]

Distribution and habitat

Bundarra spider orchid is only known from a single population at the type location. It grows in a layer of dense, low shrubs near a forest stream.

Conservation

Caladenia amnicola is listed as "2KV"[4] in the ROTAP classification meaning that it is vulnerable and poorly known from a restricted distribution.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Jones. David L.. A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. 2006. New Holland. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.. 1877069124. 88.
  2. Web site: Caladenia amnicola. APNI. 24 January 2017.
  3. Book: Brown. Roland Wilbur. The Composition of Scientific Words. 1956. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C.. 761.
  4. Web site: Caladenia amnicola. Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. 25 January 2017.
  5. Web site: Threatened flora lists. Australian Native Plants Society, Australia. 25 January 2017. 19 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151119075210/http://anpsa.org.au/coding.html. dead.