About Caladenia versicolor G.W.Carr
Caladenia versicolor is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous herb. It grows from an underground tuber and produces a single, sparsely hairy leaf that measures 50–100 mm long and 6–8 mm wide, marked with reddish blotches. One or two flowers, ranging in color from white to pink or purplish and 50–60 mm wide, are borne on a flowering spike that grows 150–250 mm tall. The sepals and petals have blackish or brownish thread-like tips. The dorsal sepal is erect, 40–60 mm long and 2–3 mm wide. The lateral sepals are 40–60 mm long and 3–5 mm wide, and spread stiffly apart from each other. The petals are 30–37 mm long, around 3 mm wide, and arranged in a similar way to the lateral sepals. The labellum is white, pink or purplish, 12–16 mm long and 7–9 mm wide. The sides of the labellum bear narrow teeth up to 3 mm long, which decrease in length towards the curled-under tip. Four or six rows of pink or purplish calli up to 1 mm long run along the centre of the labellum. Flowering takes place from September to November. This species, commonly called the candy spider orchid, is only known from two populations in Victoria, Australia. One population, south-west of Stawell, contains around 800 plants, while 175 individuals were recorded in the second population east of Balmoral in 2012. It grows in woodland habitat.
