Western Wispy Spider Orchid
Caladenia microchila
Synonyms
- Calonemorchis microchila
- Calonema microchilum
- Jonesiopsis microchila
Notes
The Western Wispy Spider Orchid can be found throughout the semi-arid parts of south-western Australian from north of Southern Cross to the Great Australian Bight, with records from as far west as Kondinin and Hyden and as far east as Cocklebiddy at the southern edge of the Nullarbor Plain. Flowering between August and October, it grows in a variety of moist habitats such as granite outcrops, mallee woodlands and along seasonal creeks. The orchids are locally abundant and often form extensive colonies.
While superficially similar to other white-flowered Wispy Spider Orchids of south-western WA, the Western Wispy Spider Orchid is readily identified by its more easterly range, small flowers with rather narrow petals and sepals and its extremely tiny labellum which measures only about 3 mm across. In fact, the scientific name of the species, microchila, is a reference to the small labellum size. The flowers are somewhat variable in colour and can range from white to cream or pale-yellow. In contrast to other Wispy Spider Orchids, the red markings on the labellum are rather faint and indistinct and can even be missing entirely.
Photos
References
- Caladenia microchila in the Australian Plant Name Index
- Caladenia microchila in the Atlas of Living Australia
- Caladenia microchila in the Western Australian FloraBase