Botanical art
Prior names
Caladenia pygmaea
Caladenia minor
Petalochilus pusillus
Caladenia carnea var. pygmaea, partly
Common names
Pigmy Caladenia
Etymology
Caladenia from the Greek 'kallos' meaning beauty and 'aden' meaning a gland, referring to the colourful labellum and the glistening glands at the base of the column that are present in many of the species. Pusilla from Latin meaning very small, little or pretty, referring to the diminutive size of the whole plant, including the flower.
Distribution and status
Found on the lower Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, southern Mt Lofty Ranges and the lower South-east in South Australia, growing on clay or gravel soils in exposed sites in open woodland, often in soils which are boggy in winter. Also found in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Rare in South Australia. Rare in the other states.
Herbarium regions: Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Slender terrestrial orchid to 10 cm in flower. Leaf single, to 6 cm long, erect, sparsely hairy. Flower single, to 8 cm long, pink with a brownish-pink back and often a white centre, borne on a thick stalk to 10 cm tall. Dorsal sepal erect at its base but curves forward to 70 mm long and 3 mm wide. Lateral sepals to 70 mm long and 2 mm wide and are partly joined to each other. Petals to 60 mm long and 2 mm wide and spread widely. Labellum white or pink with red bars, to 5 mm long and wide, edges sometimes with a few short teeth near the tip which curls under and two rows of stalked calli with yellow heads along the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering between September and November. Fruits are pale-brown hairy, papery ellipsoid capsule containing numerous tiny seeds.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and December. Collect fat capsules as they start to dry and turn brown. Pods will split and release the seeds quickly and will require monitoring. To increase the chances of collecting mature pods, it is recommended that a small breathable bag (ie. Organza bags) be used to enclose the developing capsules. Place the capsules in a container that will hold fine seeds and leave to dry for a few weeks or until the capsule split. Then carefully hold the capsule and tap it gently to release the seeds. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place, refrigerator or in liquid nitrogen.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA | 106,200 (0.037 g) | 17 | 10-Nov-2020 | DJD3942 Southern Lofty | 28-Jun-2021 | N/C | -18°C |