Australian Native Plants

  Caladenia cruciformis (Red Cross Spider Orchid)


Caladenia cruciformis photo
Red Cross Spider Orchid (Caladenia cruciformis)

Photograph by Trex21. Some rights reserved.    (view image details)




PLANT FACTS

distribution map showing range of Caladenia cruciformis in Australia

Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License


Common Name
Red Cross Spider Orchid

Description
The Red Cross Spider Orchid is a member of the Caladenia genus of spider orchids. Flowering is in spring from august to October. The plant produces a single deep red flower (sometimes two flowers) which are about 6 cm across which form a red cross shape. The sepals have dark club shaped tips. The labellum is also deep red. It has a single grass like leaf that grows to about 8 cm long rising from the base of the plant. the plant grows from an underground tuber. The fruit is a capsule containing many fine black seeds.

Habitat
Caladenia cruciformis grows on heathland, shrubland and woodland on sandy loam soil

Distribution
found in central western Victoria

Growth Characteristics
Height: 20cm to 25cm
Classification
Class:Liliopsida
Order:Asparagales
Family:Orchidaceae
Genus:Caladenia
Species:cruciformis
Common Name:Red Cross Spider Orchid


Relatives in same Genus
  Caladenia ampla
  Caladenia arenicola
  Caladenia carnea
  Caladenia catenata
  Caladenia clavigera
  Caladenia crebra
  Caladenia flava
  Caladenia fulva
  Caladenia fuscata
  Caladenia gracilis
  Caladenia integra
  Caladenia latifolia
  Caladenia leptochila
  Caladenia longicauda
  Caladenia moschata
  Caladenia paludosa
  Caladenia roei
  Caladenia tentaculata
  Caladenia ustulata
  Caladenia venusta
  Caladenia versicolor
  see A-Z list for more ...