Caladenia variegata
Synonyms
Petalochilus variegatus (Colenso) D.L.Jones et M.A.Clem.; Petalochilus carneus (R.Br.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. aut. non. N.Z. authors, Caladenia carnea R.Br. auct. non. N.Z. authors
Family
Orchidaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Orchids
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. North, South and Chatham Islands. Exact distribution still poorly known. In the North Island it has been recorded from the Kaingaroa Plain (mainly in plantation forestry), Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Tararua Ranges and near Wellington. Reported from north-west Nelson.
Habitat
In the North and South Islands a montane species found in areas above 600 m a.s.l. Usually in semi-decomposed leaf litter or peaty ground under tall forest. Locally common in Pinus nigra Arnold plantations. On the Chatham Islands it is found in lowland tarahinau (Dracophyllum arboreum Cockayne) forest, usually amongst leaf litter made up entirely of Dracophyllum leaves.
Features
Stout terrestrial orchid usually mostly occurring at solitary plants sometimes as small colonies of up to 10. All parts finely but sparsely glandular hairy. Leaf solitary up to 300 x 4 mm long, narrow-linear to linear-lanceolate, dark green to reddish-green. Stem erect, stout, up to 300 mm tall, dark red-green or red, sparsely eglandular-glandular hairy. Floral bracts 1(-2). Flowers 1(-2) up to 30 mm diameter, in lax racemes, perianth usually pink, rarely white, if pink often darker toward flower centre. Dorsal sepal erect, arching over column, more or less cucullate toward apex, externally green tinged, lateral sepals wide spreading to somewhat deflexed broadly elliptic, apex obtuse to broadly obtuse, apiculate. Petals elliptic to narrowly elliptic, apex sharply acute, often falcate. Labellum 3-lobed, externally pale pink flushed with white toward margins, internally pink or white, marked with transverse dark red bands, disc with 2 more or less equal lines of prominently stalked calli, stalks dark pink or white, callus heads spheroidal, globular to ellipsoid, bright yellow, lateral lobes deeply cut; mid-lobe narrowly triangular, slightly recurved, either white or pink or basally white or pink flushed yellow, margins crenulated, dark yellow, marginal calli either absent or with a single semi-flattened yellow callus on either side. Column erect to slightly recurved, externally surface bright green, covered with fine, pink glandular hairs, internally green with 5-8 dark red transverse, irregular bars, column wings distinctly broadening toward apex. Anther pink
Similar taxa
Caladenia variegata can be recognised by its stature (up to 300 mm tall), very dark stem and green ovary and large flowers. The flowers are usually pale pink (but they can be white) are either solitary or in pairs. The dorsal sepal is characteristically green tinged. The back of the column is externally bright green and is covered with pink glandular hairs, and internally green striped red. The anther is pink, the labellum and side lobes are striped dark red. The calli are bright yellow, prominently stipitate, ellipsoid to spheroidal, usually in two rows that occupy a median position down the labellum. The mid-lobe is white or basally white otherwise yellow with butter yellow crenulated margins, and toward the base there are either no or one marginal callus on either side. The lateral petals are distinctively sharply acute, falcate, while the sepals are obtuse, finely apiculate.
Flowering
November - January
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Fruiting
January - March
Propagation technique
Difficult - should not be removed from the widl
Threats
Caladenia variegata would seem to be a rather sparsely distributed and naturally uncommon orchid. However, it is quite likely that the apparent rarity of this species is also in part due to its being overlooked for despite its colourful flowers it is not easily seen amongst the leaf litter in which it usually grows.
Etymology
variegata: From the Latin variagatus, referring to colours disposed in various irregular spaces
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
TAXONOMIC NOTES
Jones et al. (2001) revived the genus Petalochilus R.S.Rogers (erected by Rogers (1924) for what has come to be viewed as a peloric state of Caladenia R.Br. - see Moore & Edgar (1970)) for a distinct clade of mostly New Zealand orchids that had usually been referred to as Caladenia. Subsequently Hopper et al. (2004) showed how the reorganisation of Caladenia by Jones et al. (2001) was unworkable and they recommended a return to Caladenia and the other allied Australian genera that had been recognised previously. Following discussion with S. Hopper and P. Weston (pers. comm., 2011, 2014) the treatment of Hopper et al. (2004) is preferred to that of Jones et al. (2001) and so followed here.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 14 April 2007. Description based on Colenso (1885) and herbarium specimens and subsequently published in de Lange et al. (2007).
References and further reading
Colenso, W. 1885: A description of some newly-discovered and rare indigenous plants; being a further contribution towards the making known the botany of New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 17: 237-265.
de Lange, P.; Rolfe, J. St George, I. Sawyer J. 2007: Wild orchids of the lower North Island. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 194pp.
Hopper, S.D.; Brown, A.P. 2004: Robert Brown’s Caladenia revisited, including a revision of its sister genera Cyanicula, Ericksonella and Pheladenia (Caladeniinae: Orchidaceae). Australian Systematic Botany 17: 1-240.
Jones, D.L.; Clements, M.A.; Sharma, I.K.; Mackenzie, A.M. 2001: A New Classification of Caladenia R.Br. (Orchidaceae). The Orchadian 13: 389-419.
Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. II. Government Printer, Wellington.
Rogers, R.S. 1924: Petalochilus: a New Genus of New Zealand Orchids. Journal of Botany 62: 65-67.
Citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Caladenia variegata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/caladenia-variegata/ (Date website was queried)