Caladenia incrassata, commonly known as the puppet clown orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and usually only one greenish-yellow and red flower which has a red-striped labellum.
Caladenia incrassata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single erect, hairy leaf, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 8sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. Usually a single greenish-yellow and red flower NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide is borne on a stalk NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. All three sepals have thickened, club-like pinkish to yellowish glandular tips. The dorsal sepal is erect or sometimes curved forwards, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and the petals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The labellum is NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide and yellowish-green to pinkish with a red tip, the end of which is turned downwards. The labellum has smooth edges and there is a dense band of purplish-red calli up to 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long in the centre. Flowering occurs from August to September.[1] [2] [3]
Caladenia incrassata was first described in 2001 by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Phillip Brown from a specimen collected on Muddarning Hill north of Koolyanobbing and the description was published in Nuytsia.[4] The specific epithet (incrassata) is a Latin word meaning "thickened"[5] referring to the thicked sepals of this species. (The dorsal sepal of the similar Caladenia brevisura is not thickened and the lateral sepals are less so.)
The puppet clown orchid occurs between Paynes Find and Southern Cross in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Murchison and Yalgoo biogeographic regions where it grows under shrubs on granite outcrops and on ironstone hills.
Caladenia incrassata is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.