Caladenia lorea, commonly known as the blushing spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and up to three cream, pink and red flowers and often hybridises with the white spider orchid (Caladenia longicauda) producing intermediate forms.
Caladenia lorea is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single erect, hairy leaf, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. Up to three cream, pink and red flowers, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide are borne on a stalk NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The sepals and petals have thin, light brown, club-like glandular tips, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The dorsal sepal is erect, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and the lateral sepals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The petals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals and petals spread widely near their bases but turn downwards nearer their tips. The labellum is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and pink with a dark red tip which curls under. The sides of the labellum have thin teeth up to 8sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and there are four rows of dark red calli up to 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long in the centre. Flowering occurs from August to early October. This species often hybridises with Caladenia longicauda producing a range of intermediate forms.[1] [2] [3]
Caladenia lorea was first described in 2001 by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Phillip Brown from a specimen collected in Cockleshell Gully near Jurien Bay and the description was published in Nuytsia.[4] The specific epithet (lorea) is derived from the Latin word lorum meaning "strap" or "thong"[5] referring to the long "clubs" on the sepals and petals.
Blushing spider orchid occurs between Yanchep and Leeman with an isolated population south of Bunbury, in the Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions where it grows in areas that are wet in winter.
Caladenia lorea is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.