Bendigo Field Nats

Audas' Spider Orchid

Caladenia audasiiis the rarest orchid in North Central Victoria and according to the IUCN (The World Conervation Union) Red list it is listed as critically endangered.

Historic records indicate that five plants were known from central Victoria including 3 plants from Bendigo, one from Inglewood and one from Stawell. Only one plant was emerged this year, located in Bendigo.

Caladenia audasii habitat consists of shallow stoney soils charecteristic of Central Victoria's Box-Ironbark forests.

The flowering stems are to 20cm, the leaf between 5-10cm long and 0.6-1cm wide. Flowers1; perianth segments 3-6cm long, yellowish; sepals densley covered in glandular hairs. Labellum curved forward with apex recurved and lateral lobes erect, yellowish; margins of lateral lobes antire or slighlty scalloped.

For enlarged photo click on the flower.

The picture of the Audas' Spider Orchid has been labelled and by pausing your pointing device over the different flower parts will display the taxonomic labelling of the plant.

Caladenia audasii

Taxonomic description

Flowering plant 11-19cm tall
Leaf 50-100mm long and 6-10mm wide
Single flower
Perianth segments 30-60mm long, yellowish
labellum curved forward with apex recurved, yellowish
sepals covered in glandular hairs

Examples of Bendigo's Threatened Flora

Audas's Spider Orchid
Ausfelds Wattle
Bald Tip Beard Orchid
Cane Spear-grass
Dainty Phebalium
Erect Peppercress
Goldfields Grevillea
Kamarooka Mallee
Large Greenhood
Red Swainson-pea
Whipstick Westringia
Whirrakee Wattle

Bendigo