Caladenia bartlettii is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New Zealand. It is a ground orchid with a single narrow, hairy leaf and a thin wiry stem usually bearing one short-lived mauve to pink flower.

Caladenia bartlettii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Caladenia
Species:
C. bartlettii
Binomial name
Caladenia bartlettii
Synonyms[1]
  • Caladenia carnea var. bartlettii Hatch
  • Petalochilus bartlettii (Hatch) D.L.Jones and M.A.Clem.

Description

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Caladenia bartlettii is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb, sometimes solitary or in groups of up to ten individuals. It has an underground tuber and a single hairy, narrow linear leaf up to 10 cm (4 in) long, 2 mm (0.08 in) wide and dark purplish or reddish-green.[1]

One, sometimes two flowers up to 20 mm (0.8 in) in diameter are borne on a thin, sparsely hairy, wiry spike, 30 cm (10 in) high. The sepals and petals are a dark magenta colour shading to white in the lower parts. The dorsal sepal is erect and the lateral sepals are elliptic in shape with a rounded end and are slightly larger than the petals. The labellum has three lobes with red stripes, the mid-lobe triangular in shape, curled under and dark yellow with a wavy edge. There are two rows of bright yellow-tipped calli along the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs from October to December but the flowers are self-pollinating and only last for a few days.[1][2]

Taxonomy and naming

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The species was first formally described in 1949 by Edwin Hatch as a variety of Caladenia carnea and the description was published in Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand.[3] The name was changed to Caladenia bartlettii in 1997.[4] The specific epithet (bartlettii) honours Francis (Frank) William Bartlett (1896-1979) of Silverdale, "whose knowledge of the gumlands flora has made his home the mecca of Auckland enthusiasts for many years".[5]

Distribution and habitat

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This caladenia grows in shady places in poor soil, always in forests dominated by kauri trees. It is found on both the North and South Islands of New Zealand.[1][2][6]

Conservation

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Caladenia bartlettii was classified in 2012 as "At Risk - Naturally Uncommon".[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f de Lange, Peter James. "Caladenia bartlettii". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b Pridgeon, Alec M.; Cribb, Phillip J.; Chase, Mark W.; Rasmussen, eds. (2001). Genera Orchidacearum, Volume 2, Orchidoideae (part 1). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN 0198507100.
  3. ^ "Caladenia carnea var. bartlettii". APNI. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Caladenia bartlettii". APNI. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  5. ^ Godley, E.J. (1995). "Biographical Notes (18): Francis William Bartlett (1896-1979)". New Zealand Botanical Society Newsletter. 40: 14–16.
  6. ^ "Caladenia bartlettii". New Zealand native orchids. Retrieved 10 October 2016.