About Caladenia tentaculata Schltdl.
Caladenia tentaculata Schltdl. is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous herb. It grows from an underground tuber and produces a single hairy leaf, measuring 80–150 mm long and 12–20 mm wide, which often has red spots near its base. Up to three green flowers with red stripes, each 60–100 mm across, are borne on a flower spike 150–500 mm tall. The sepals have brown or yellow, club-shaped glandular tips that are 5–12 mm long. The dorsal sepal curves forward, and is 60–80 mm long and 2–4 mm wide. The lateral sepals are 60–80 mm long and 4–5 mm wide; they are turned downward, held nearly parallel to each other, but their tips turn horizontal or slightly upwards before often drooping at the ends. The petals are 40–50 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, and turned downwards. The labellum is 16–20 mm long and 20–25 mm wide, green with a white central area and a dark red tip. Each side of the labellum bears between five and eight thin green teeth up to 8 mm long, and the tip of the labellum curves downwards. Four crowded rows of dark red, club-shaped calli up to 2 mm long are present in the centre of the labellum. Flowering occurs between September and December. This species, commonly called the eastern mantis orchid, is widespread across Victoria, eastern New South Wales and south-eastern South Australia, where it grows in heath, woodland and forest.
