About Caladenia verrucosa G.W.Carr
Caladenia verrucosa (common name mallee spider orchid) is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous herb. It grows from an underground tuber, and produces a single hairy leaf. The leaf is 60–150 mm (2–6 in) long and 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide, with reddish-purple blotches near its base. One yellowish-green flower, around 40 mm (2 in) across with red stripes in its center, is borne on a stalk 150–300 mm (6–10 in) tall. The sepals have bright yellow, club-shaped glandular tips 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. The dorsal sepal stands erect, is 35–45 mm (1–2 in) long and approximately 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The lateral sepals are 30–45 mm (1–2 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide, narrowing suddenly at about the halfway point along their length. The petals are 23–26 mm (0.9–1 in) long and about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) wide, linear to lance-shaped, and curve obliquely downwards. The labellum is green with a dark red tip, and is 13–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and wide. The sides of the labellum curve upwards, with three to five green teeth up to 4 mm (0.2 in) long and short red teeth on each side. Four crowded rows of dark red, stalked calli are present on the labellum; these calli reach up to 4 mm (0.2 in) long near the base of the labellum and decrease in size toward the tip. Flowering takes place from September to October. This orchid is most common in north-western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, where it grows in mallee woodland on sandy soil. In New South Wales, it is found between Griffith and Rankins Springs.
