Caladenia actensis

2 Canberra Spider Orchid at Kenny, ACT

Caladenia actensis at Kenny, ACT - 6 Oct 2016
Caladenia actensis at Kenny, ACT - 6 Oct 2016
Caladenia actensis at Kenny, ACT - 6 Oct 2016
Caladenia actensis at Kenny, ACT - 6 Oct 2016
Request use of media

Identification history

Caladenia actensis 8 Oct 2016 TonyWood
Caladenia actensis 8 Oct 2016 CathB

Identify this sighting


Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.

Significant sighting

waltraud noted:

8 Oct 2016

Distribution of a species declared critically endangered (Commonwealth).

User's notes

A 3-flowered plant. The only multi-flowered plant among at least 80 seen. Taller than most (about 15 cm) and flowers seemed larger, although past their best. The top flower missing several segments, including the labellum.

20 comments

TonyWood wrote:
   8 Oct 2016
Impressive. I've seen them with two flowers, but never three.
AaronClausen wrote:
   8 Oct 2016
Cath this is amazing, I'm going to go check this out probably today :) Congrats awesome find.
AaronClausen wrote:
   8 Oct 2016
A general question for you orchid experts, if you come back to say the same exact spot/tuber next year, would the same plant be likely to have 2/3 heads again in future seasons? Or is it just a random thing that only happened this year for that plant and it might just re-appear as a normal single plant next year?
waltraud wrote:
   8 Oct 2016
Cath, that is a new site southeast of Mt Majura's big northwest population. This significant finding may indicate that the northwest population is far more extensive than previously thought. Great find!
:)
Waltraud
AaronClausen wrote:
   8 Oct 2016
Wow spot on Waltraud, that is brilliant news.
CathB wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
Please note I have changed the location very slightly - each photo had slightly different coordinates, and I think this reflects the actual site better.
Re Aaron's question about whether it would come up multi-flowered again, I wondered at the time whether it's larger size might indicate it was a polyploid, in which case it might always be bigger. But this is total speculation!
waltraud wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
Cath
I can't see the map with the location now - wonder what happened? perhaps it is on the other side of the fence outside Mt Majura nature reserve; if this is the case I could not see the map.
Waltraud
AaronClausen wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
Cath your location is spot on. I just found it, I'm there right now. What a magnificent plant, but more importantly what a huge colony. Your estimate of at least 80 I would say is conservative, I reckon there's more like 150 plus now. This is a massive find for Mount Majura, super important huge thriving colony. You deserve a gold star!!!!!
CathB wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
It was only moved a few metres, but in the direction away from the fence, so this might be your problem. Sorry!
AaronClausen wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
Still finding more and more up the hill. Huge colony, amazing.
AaronClausen wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
Found one single heath with 15 orchids hiding in it. Holy cow this a huge. Way more than 100 plants.
AaronClausen wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
Sorry I had a few typos because I was writing those messages from my iPhone. Cath I reckon there is closer to 150 plants if an extensive count was done. I just kept finding huge clusters of them everywhere in this area and they went quite a fair way up the hill too. Also surrounded by Hymenochilus which was lovely.
TonyWood wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
I suggest you mark the plant very specifically, and check it next year to see if it produces multi flowers again. As a general comment I have noted that orchids that are robust plants, eg that are larger or have more flowers on an inflorescence than normal tend to retain that characteristic.
AaronClausen wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
Very interesting Tony, many thanks. It's in quite a memorable spot as well. Keen to watch this plant in coming years.
waltraud wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
Aaron, Cath I'm confused
is this colony on Mt Majura? the title says: Canberra spider orchid at Symonston, ACT and i can't see a map with location.
waltraud wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
I assume the location would be would be "Majura, ACT" if the orchids occur on the rural lease side of the fence?
waltraud wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
I found a number of Canberra Spider orchid registrations for Symonston including those which were definitively on Mt Majura - i have been on a survey with a group of people when we found them.
Something weird is going on which shifts Mt Majura or Majura,Act registrations to Symonston.
There are a number of Aarons registrations of other orchids (and other species) for Symonston which I wonder are in fact found on Mt Majura/Majura,Act such as the Leopard orchids etc .
waltraud wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
Thanks for giving me the Symonston account privilege Aaron and for the explanation about Googles fault to correctly name locality. As suspected all registrations from Sept 9th onward (I didn't check earlier registrations) including Cath's and other Caladenia actensis registrations which are stated for Symonston occur in fact on Mt Majura / Majura, ACT.
Problem is that CNM wrongly states presence of species for a certain locality; I hope this can be solved.
AaronClausen wrote:
   9 Oct 2016
It's pretty annoying I agree Waltraud, I'll have a look now to see if I can override this somehow at our end...
TobiasHayashi wrote:
   24 Oct 2016
Not entirely sure about double-header plants always being double-headers - I suspect not but really have no clue. With a lot of orchids, Caladenia actensis included, there is some evidence to suggest that they often don't put up leaves in consecutive years let alone flowers - I suspect this may have to do with how dry etc conditions are.

Please Login or Register to comment.

Location information

Sighting information

  • 16 - 100 Abundance
  • 6 Oct 2016 03:08 PM Recorded on
  • CathB Recorded by

Additional information

  • True In flower
  • 10cm to 30cm Plant height

Species information

Record quality

  • Overall Fit for scientific/research use
  • Images or audio
  • More than one media file
  • Confirmed by an expert moderator
  • Nearby sighting(s) of same species
  • GPS evidence of location
  • Description
  • Additional attributes
2,154,471 sightings of 19,955 species in 6,503 locations from 11,461 contributors
CCA 3.0 | privacy
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this land and acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.