About Caladenia mentiens D.L.Jones
Caladenia mentiens is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous herb that grows from an underground tuber. It produces a single erect, dark green, sparsely hairy, linear leaf, which measures 30–900 mm (1–40 in) long and about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. One whitish or pinkish flower, 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 10–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) wide, is borne on a stalk 40–160 mm (2–6 in) tall. The outer surfaces of the sepals and petals are darker pink. The dorsal sepal is erect, 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 2.5 mm (0.1 in) wide; the lateral sepals are roughly the same length as the dorsal sepal, but slightly wider. The petals measure 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 2.5 mm (0.1 in) wide. Both the lateral sepals and petals are held nearly horizontally. The labellum is 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and wide, and is cream-colored with red cross-bars and a yellowish tip. The sides of the labellum have a small number of short teeth near the tip, and two short rows of yellow calli with red stalks run through the center of the labellum. Flowering takes place from October to November. This species is self-pollinating, and its flowers only open for a short period, sometimes they do not open at all. Common name lesser fingers, this orchid is found in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and on King Island and Flinders Island. In Tasmania, it grows in dense coastal forests; in Victoria, it grows in forest and heath habitats. It is poorly documented across its entire range, easily overlooked, and may actually be more widespread than currently recorded.
