Scientific Name: Caladenia brachyscapa

Common Name: short spider-orchid

Family Classification (Clade): Monocots

Family: Orchidaceae

Threatened Species Status: Endangered

Permit: It is an offence to collect, disturb, damage or destroy this species unless under permit.

Form Description: Leaf linear, base purple blotched, hairy, underside densely hairy.

Height (m): 0.03 – 0.15

Flowers: Flower single, reddish pink, with thick blackish osmophores on all the segments, labellum white to reddish with darker veins and maroon apex, calli dark reddish purple, column translucent with reddish markings.

Fruit: Papery capsule

Municipality
Flinders
Plant Communities
Coastal Vegetation
Habitat Notes

Among grasses and low shrubs in sparse coastal scrub.

Site Tolerance

Dry, Exposed, Moist, Windy

Soil Tolerance

Loam, Sandy

Frost Tolerance

Tender

General Notes

Fire prone habitat. Very rare because of grazing. Not observed since 1979; possibly extinct.

Propagation Calendar

  • Flowering Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Seed Collecting Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Sowing Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Cutting Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Propagation Method
Specialist Method

Seed Information

Seed Treatment Notes

Orchid seeds are very minute yellow, brown or blackish dust-like particles. Orchid seeds are produced within a capsule that splits at maturity and releases thousands to millions of seeds. Dispersed by wind and water and only germinate following infection of the embryo by a suitable mycorrhizal fungus. Very few seeds become mature plants. For more information see Jones, Wapstra, Tonelli, Harris (1999): The Orchids of Tasmania.