Caladenia flava (Cowslip Orchid)

Caladenia flava or cowslip orchid, Monadnocks Conservation reserve

Photograph by Gnangarra...commons.wikimedia.org. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

A species of Caladenia, probably Caladenia flava in a disturbed and seasonally wet area of Jarrah Forest.

Photograph by Cygnis insignis. License: Public Domain. (view image details)

COWSLIP ORCHID FACTS

distribution map showing range of Caladenia flava in Australia

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

Common Name
Cowslip Orchid

Other Names
Butter Orchid

Description
The Cowslip Orchid is a perennial yellow flowered orchid from Western Australia. The flowers are bright yellow and may have reddish markings on the dorsal sepal and lateral petals. Some plants produce paler yellow or white flowers. Flowers are produced in clusters of two to four on stems to 30 cm. Individual flowers are about 35 mm in diameter. Flowering is in late winter and spring from around July to October and the leaves die back after flowering. The plant grows from a tuber and produces a long hairy leaf up to about 15 cm long.

Habitat
forest, woodland, rocky outcrops

Distribution
Caladenia flava is found in south west of Western Australia from about Geraldton to Esperance.

Growth Characteristics
Height: 30cm

Classification

Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Genus:	Caladenia
Species:	flava
Common Name:	Cowslip Orchid

Relatives in same Genus
  Caladenia ampla
  Caladenia arenicola
  Caladenia carnea
  Caladenia catenata
  Caladenia clavigera
  Caladenia crebra
  Caladenia cruciformis
  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 ...