Caladenia leptoclavia, commonly known as the thin-clubbed spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and a single pale cream-coloured to yellow flower with dark reddish stripes.
Caladenia leptoclavia is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single, lance-shaped, dull green hairy leaf, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with a reddish base. Usually only a single cream-coloured to yellow flower with dark reddish, central stripes is borne on a thin, wiry, hairy spike NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The sepals have thin, dark red to blackish club-like ends NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The dorsal sepal is erect, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 4sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide near the base. The lateral sepals are a similar size and shape to the dorsal sepal but spread widely and stiffly. The petals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and droop slightly. The labellum is egg-shaped to heart-shaped, about NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and is sometimes all red, or dark maroon with a white base. The tip of the labellum curls under and there are between eight and ten red teeth up to 1.5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long on each side of the labellum. There are four rows of calli 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long along the mid-line of the labellum and which decrease in size towards the tip. Flowering occurs from September to October.[1] [2] [3] [4]
Caladenia leptoclavia was first formally described by David Jones in 1991 from a specimen collected near Bethungra, and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research.[5] The specific epithet (leptoclavia) is derived from the Ancient Greek word λεπτός leptos meaning "thin" or "slender",[6] and the Latin word clava meaning "club", referring to the thin "clubs" on the sepals.
Thin-clubbed spider orchid has a restricted distribution in New South Wales where it is only known from near Bethungra, Cowra and Eugowra where it grows in forest.