Plants
Orchids
Sighting 4347268

Caladenia parva

Brown-clubbed Spider Orchid at Paddys River, ACT

Caladenia parva at Paddys River, ACT - 26 Sep 2020
Caladenia parva at Paddys River, ACT - 26 Sep 2020
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Identification history

Caladenia parva 28 Sep 2020 TobiasHayashi
Caladenia atrovespa 27 Sep 2020 MattM
Caladenia parva 26 Sep 2020 MattM
Caladenia actensis 26 Sep 2020 LindaGroom

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User's notes

Next to two flowering Glossodia major growing up through some burnt scrub which may have protected it from browsing. Nearby granite rocks and mossy patches.

8 comments

MattM wrote:
   26 Sep 2020
I think this is Caladenia phaeoclavia which is known to occur in the area. Ideally I would like a front on view displaying the clubs on the sepals for a positive ID. It could be a good year for them as it has been wet and they respond well to fire.
C. actensis is much smaller, and has a very restricted distribution that is not known to extend as far as Namadgi.
ChristianFricker wrote:
   27 Sep 2020
Unfortunately C. phaeoclavia is very difficult to ID with a photo. This plant if I had to guess looks like C. atrovespa due to the labellum looking narrow, has 8 pairs of marginal teeth and labellum also looks loosely attached. Only guessing!
MattM wrote:
   27 Sep 2020
I think I agree with you, Christian. I was not aware of the distinctions that could be made based on the number of marginal teeth, but I can only find images of C. atrovespa with 8 pairs. Looking at the clubs again, they certainly don't appear as large as I thought they looked upon first inspection. I found an old comment by Tobias which suggested the two were virtually impossible to split without the pollinator.
ChristianFricker wrote:
   27 Sep 2020
I agree with Tobias! Plants I believe have possibly been C. phaeoclavia, have all had a wider labellum at it's base (hinges), than what I'm used to seeing with C. atrovespa. Unfortunately this could also just be a variability. I will seek further clarification so we can all correctly ID in the future. Too much confusion on this one.
LindaGroom wrote:
   27 Sep 2020
Thanks Christian and Matt. I do have a photo with a front view, if you would like it. But I'm afraid I don't know how to add a photo via 'Comments' (I am completely new to Canberra Nature Map). I would be happy to email it to you so you can see it in its original resolution so you could zoom it, if you like - Linda (family.walks@canberrabushwalkingclub.org)
TobiasHayashi wrote:
   28 Sep 2020
Looks like C phaeoclavia (now known as C parva) to me because of the small flower, and somewhat thicker clubs and shorter lateral sepals/petals. This is also in line with our current understanding of mostly C phaeoclavia in Namadgi/southern Canberra. There is some overlap I think between C atrovespa and C phaeoclavia, particularly when the latter is at the larger end of its size range and at the smaller end of its club thickness range, but in general they are possible to tell apart.
MattM wrote:
   28 Sep 2020
Linda, you can edit your sighting by clicking one of the buttons in the too right corner (above the map).
LindaGroom wrote:
   30 Sep 2020
Thanks for advice that I can edit a sighting. With that advice, I found 'Edit Sighting' and also 'Update this sighting' but neither seemed to give me an option to add a second photo. I don't think this is worth pursuing any further now, since I gather this species is not all that rare. But thanks.

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