Caladenia williamsiae, commonly known as Judy's spider orchid,[2] or Williams' spider orchid[3] is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rare species with a single relatively large, erect, hairy leaf and one or two delicate, greenish-yellow and red flowers. It is only known from a single population near Brookton.
| Judy's spider orchid | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Caladenia |
| Species: | C. williamsiae |
| Binomial name | |
| Caladenia williamsiae | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Description
Caladenia williamsiae is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single erect, hairy leaf, 70–90 mm long and 15–18 mm wide. One or two greenish-yellow flowers with red markings, and about 40 mm long and 30 mm wide are borne on a stalk 150–200 mm high. The sepals have reddish, club-like glandular tips 3–4 mm long. The dorsal sepal is erect near the base, then curves forward and is 15–20 mm long and about 1 mm wide. The lateral sepals and petals are 15–20 mm long, about 2 mm wide and horizontal near their bases, then curve downwards. The labellum is 6–8 mm long, 3–4 mm wide and yellowish green with a red tip. The sides of the labellum have narrow red or cream-coloured teeth up to 3 mm long, the tip of the labellum curls downward and there are four rows of dark red calli up to 1 mm long, along the mid-line. Flowering occurs from August to September.[2][3][4][5][6]
Taxonomy and naming
Caladenia williamsiae was first formally described in 2001 by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Phillip Brown from a specimen collected near Brookton and the description was published in Nuytsia.[1] The specific epithet (williamsiae) honours Judy Williams who discovered this species in 2000.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Judy's spider orchid is only known from near Brookton in the Avon Wheatbelt biogeographic region where it grows under wandoo and in dense shrubland.[2][3][4][5][7]
Conservation
Caladenia williamsiae is classified as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife[7] and as "Endangered" (EN) under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The main threat to the species is grazing by kangaroos.[6]