Beautiful, big and flamboyant, the Caladenia lobata (Butterfly Spider Orchids) belong to a group of orchids collectively named as the Green Spider Orchids (Caladenia attingens, falcata, integra and lobata).
The most beautiful of the green spider orchid group, the Butterfly Orchid is easily distinguished by the large, flattened labellum with fringing held out sideways. In the slightest of breeze, the labellum is delicately hinged so it flutters in the slightest breeze.
Caladenia lobata has a single erect, hairy leaf, 100–250 mm long and 10–14 mm wide. One or two greenish-yellow flowers with red markings are borne on a hairy spike 300–500 mm. The flowers are 80–100 mm long and 70–90 mm wide.
The dorsal sepal is erect, 55–80 mm long and 3–5 mm wide. The lateral sepals are 55–80 mm long, 6–8 mm wide, curve upwards, are closely parallel to each other, and have narrow club-like glandular tips. The petals are 50–60 mm long and about 3 mm wide and spread horizontally or curve downwards.5
The labellum (the lowermost petal of an orchid flower that is modified through enlargement and positioning, facilitating pollination by attracting pollinators and acting as a landing structure) is 20–25 mm long and 30–35 mm wide. It is greenish-yellow with a red tip that curls downwards.5
The sides of the labellum are widely spread or turn upwards and have many erect to spreading teeth up to 12 mm long and there are six or eight rows of red calli clustered in the centre of the labellum.5
Caladenia lobata is found between Bunbury and the Stirling Range in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographical regions of Western Australia.4
Photographs © Terry Dunham
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Charophyta
- Class: Equisetopsida
- Subclass: Magnoliidae
- Superorder: Lilianae
- Order: Asparagales
- Family: Orchidaceae
- Genus: Caladenia
- Species: Caladenia lobata
Footnote & References
- Caladenia lobata (Butterfly Spider Orchid), Stirling Range National Park WA. Photographs © Terry Dunham
- Caladenia lobata Fitzg., Butterfly Orchid, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/taxon/apni/51399135
- Butterfly Orchid Caladenia lobata), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/959989-Caladenia-lobata
- Caladenia lobata Fitzg., Butterfly Orchid, Western Australian Herbarium (1998–). Florabase—the Western Australian Flora. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Accessed 1 October 2023), https://florabase.dbca.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/1601
- Caladenia lobata, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caladenia_lobata
- Caladenia falcata, integra, attingens, lobata – The Green Spider Orchid Group, Orchids of South-West Australia, https://chookman.id.au/wp_orchids/?page_id=2020
OrchidaceaeOrchidaceae Index Caladenia barbarossa (Dragon Orchid) Caladenia bryceana subsp. bryceana (Dwarf Spider Orchid) Caladenia corynephora (Club-lipped Spider Orchid) Caladenia drummondii (Winter Spider Orchid) Caladenia integra (Smooth-lipped Spider Orchid) Caladenia latifolia (Pink Fairies) Caladenia lobata (Butterfly Spider Orchid) Caleana major (Flying Duck Orchid) Caladenia melanema (Ballerina Orchid) Caladenia polychroma (Joseph’s Spider Orchid) Caladenia pulchra (Slender Spider Orchid) Caladenia pusilla (Tiny Caladenia) Caladenia serotina (Christmas Spider Orchid) Caladenia tessellata (Thick-lip Spider Orchid) Cephalotus follicularis (Western Australian Pitcher Plant) Cryptostylis ovata (Slipper Orchid) Dendrobium kingianum (Pink Rock Orchid) Dendrobium speciosum (Rock Orchid) Drakaea glyptodon (King-in-his-carriage Orchid) Drakaea livida (Warty Hammer Orchid) Elythranthera emarginata (Pink Enamel Orchid) Epiblema grandiflorum (Babe-in-a-cradle Orchid) Ericksonella saccharata (Sugar Orchid) Glossodia major (Wax-lip Orchid) Leptoceras menziesii (Rabbit Orchid) Microtis cupularis (Cupped Mignonette Orchid) Paracaleana nigrita (Flying Duck Orchid) Pterostylis cheraphila (Floodplain Rustyhood) Pterostylis ciliata (Hairy Rufous Greenhood) Pterostylis picta (Painted Rufous Greenhood) Rhizanthella johnstonii (Southern Underground Orchid) Spiculaea ciliata (Elbow Orchid) Thelymitra antennifera (Lemon-scented Sun Orchid) Thelymitra sp. Ongerup (Orange Sun Orchids) Thelymitra speciosa (Eastern Queen of Sheba’s)
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