About Caladenia plicata Fitzg.
Caladenia plicata (common name crab-lipped spider orchid) is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous herb. It grows from an underground tuber and produces a single erect, hairy leaf, 80–200 mm (3–8 in) long and 6–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) wide. One or two flowers, coloured red, yellow and pale green with red markings, are borne on a stalk 160–350 mm (6–10 in) tall. Each flower is 30–50 mm (1–2 in) long and 30–40 mm (1–2 in) wide. All sepals have thick brown, club-like glandular tips 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. The dorsal sepal is erect, 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) long and about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The lateral sepals are 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) long, about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide, curve downwards, and run parallel to each other. The petals are 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide, and also curve downwards. The labellum is 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 9–11 mm (0.35–0.43 in) wide, coloured red or sometimes pale green, and vibrates in even the lightest breeze. The sides of the labellum curve downwards and bear many spreading teeth up to 4 mm (0.2 in) long. A dense band of dark red calli, up to 3 mm (0.1 in) long, runs through the centre of the labellum. Flowering takes place from September to early November. This orchid is locally common. It grows in a range of forested habitats, most often in Casuarina thickets. It occurs between Nannup and Hopetoun in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren biogeographic regions of Western Australia.
