Caladenia fitzgeraldii, commonly known as Fitzgerald's spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and usually only one greenish-yellow and red flower.
Caladenia fitzgeraldii is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single hairy, linear to lance-shaped leaf, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. A single yellowish-green flower NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and with red markings is borne on a spike NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 high. The dorsal sepal is erect but curves forward, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals and petals spread widely, turn stiffly downwards and have glandular tips at least 15sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The lateral sepals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and the petals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The labellum is more or less egg-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide, yellowish near its base and red to maroon near the tip. There are 8 to 12 pairs of linear teeth NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long along its edges and four rows of red, golfstick-shaped calli along its centre. Flowering occurs from August to November.[1] [2]
Caladenia fitzgeraldii was first formally described by Herman Rupp in 1942 and the description was published in Australian Orchid Review.[3]
Fitzgerald's spider orchid grows in forest in rocky soil in the Australian Capital Territory and the Wellington-Bathurst area of New South Wales.