Caladenia venusta G.W.Carr 1991 SUBGENUS Calonemorchis

Plant Photos by Cathy Powers and her AUSTRALIAN TERRESTRIAL ORCHIDS OTHER FLORA & FAUNA BANJORAH Website

Lip Detail

Another Flower Angle Photos by Colin Rowan

Common Name The Virgin Caladenia - The Graceful Spider Orchid

Flower Size 3.2 to 4.8" [8 to 12 cm]

Found in Victoria and South Australia at elevations of sea level to 200 meters in heathlands, heathy forests and open forests as a medium to large sized, cold growing terrestrial occuring in sandy soils, especially on the margins of swampy areas where it blooms in the spring on an erect, to 2' [60 cm] long, 1 or 2 flowered inflorescence with flowers that smell of mouldy oranges and is generally pollinated by pseudocopulation by the male thynnid wasp.

This species is known to flower more abundantly after fires.

Synonyms Arachnorchis venusta ( G.W.Carr ) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. 2001; Caladenia floribunda D.L.Jones 1991; Calonemorchis floribunda (D.L.Jones) Szlach. 2001;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Australian Orchid Review Vol 71 No 6 2006/7 photo; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006 as Arachnorchis venusta photo fide

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