Caladenia reticulata
W.Fitzg. Veined Spider-orchidFlowering plant 10–30 cm tall. Leaf 7–12 cm long, 3–7 mm wide. Flowers solitary (rarely 2); perianth segments 2.5–4 cm long, yellowish-green and crimson to wholly crimson; lateral sepals divergent, spreading, flattened at base, 4–5 mm wide, tapered to a filiform, clubbed tail, club 5–8 mm long, with dark-coloured, contiguous, sessile glands; petals drooping, shorter than sepals, flattened at base, tapered to long acuminate apex. Labellum curved forward with apex recurved and lateral lobes erect, lamina ovate, obscurely 3-lobed, 8–11 mm long and 6–8 mm wide (when flattened), yellowish with red margins and veins; marginal calli on lateral lobes linear or swollen apically, to 1.3 mm long, diminishing in size towards mid-lobe where margins broadly toothed; lamina calli in 4 or 6 crowded rows, barely extending beyond bend, linear to foot-shaped, c. 1.3 mm long at base of lamina, decreasing in size towards apex. Flowers Sep.–Oct.
LoM, Wim, GleP, VVP, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR. Also SA. In Victoria, known only from scattered localities in the Stawell, Ararat, Horsham and Dunolly areas. Usually in open Eucalyptus leucoxylon woodland on poorly structured clay loams.
Caladenia reticulata has been more widely circumscribed in the past and included plants now described as segregate species (see for example C. ancylosa, C. australis, C. calcicola, C. insularis, C. lowanensis, C. montana, C. robinsonii, C. valida, C. xanthochila etc).
Caladenia reticulata in the strict sense may be confined to South Australia.
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.
Spinning
