Caladenia hastata
(Nicholls) Rupp Mellblom's Spider-orchidFlowering plant 20–35 cm high. Leaf 8–12 cm long, 2–10 mm wide. Flowers usually solitary (sometimes 2 or 3); perianth segments 2–4 cm long, usually white, or sometimes cream with reddish stripes; lateral sepals and petals stiffly spreading, flattened at base, 2–5 mm wide, tapered to a filiform, clubbed tail, club usually 2–3 times wider than subtending segment, 10–22 mm long, with purple-black, contiguous, sessile glands. Labellum curved forward with recurved apex, lamina ovate, 3-lobed, 14–16 mm long and 10–12 mm wide (when flattened), white with purple markings; marginal calli linear to foot-shaped, to 2 mm long, diminishing in size towards broadly toothed mid-lobe; lamina calli in 4 or 6 crowded rows extending to base of mid-lobe, narrowly club-shaped to foot-shaped, to 1.5 mm long at base of lamina, decreasing in size towards apex. Flowers Oct.–Nov.
GleP, VVP, GipP, GGr. Also SA. Restricted to light forest and coastal scrub on well-drained sandy soil in the Portland-Casterton area, where now extremely rare.
Characterized by the prominent, long black clubs on both petals and sepals, and its otherwise whitish flowers.
This species is critically endangered and has been the subject of micropropagation, translocation and reintroduction programs.
Entwisle, T.J. (1994). Orchidaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons, pp. 740–901. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
