Drakaea glyptodon, commonly known as King-in-his-carriage orchid is endemic to the south–west of Western Australia. It is the most common and widespread of the hammer orchids, being found in sandy ground from north of Jurien Bay to Esperance. The ones pictured here is from Stirling Range National Park in the Great Southern region of Western Australia
The flower of the Drakaea glyptodon is similar to those of other hammer orchids in that the labellum resembles a flightless female thynnid wasp, except in this species the labellum is shorter and more swollen than those of other drakaeas. The flowers of this orchid are pollinated by the male thynnine wasp Zaspilothynnus trilobatus.
The Drakaea glyptodon has a single, small, heart-shaped, ground hugging leaf and underground tuber. The leaf is about 10 mm in diameter, glabrous, dull blue-grey colour with darker lines radiating from the attachment to the stem. The leaves are striking with their prominently veined pattern.
The King-in-his-carriage Orchid can sometimes be found with the Slender and Warty Hammer Orchids, although it usually flowers a few weeks later.
The stem of the Drakaea glyptodon is from 10–35 centimetres long, whilst the stalk of the single flower is between 8–15 mm long.
First formally described by Robert D. FitzGerald in 1882 in The Gardeners’ Chronicle as Drakaea glyptodon. The specific epithet (glyptodon) refers to “an extinct South American animal related to the Armadillo”.
Photographs © Terry Dunham
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Charophyta
- Class: Equisetopsida
- Subclass: Magnoliidae
- Superorder: Lilianae
- Order: Asparagales
- Family: Orchidaceae
- Genus: Drakaea
- Species: Drakaea glyptodon
Footnote & References
- Drakaea glyptodon (King-in-his-carriage Orchid), Stirling Range National Park WA. Photographs © Terry Dunham
- Drakaea glyptodon Fitzg., King-In-His-Carriage, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/taxon/apni/51404655
- King-in-His-Carriage (Drakaea glyptodon), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/568896-Drakaea-glyptodon
- Drakaea glyptodon, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drakaea_glyptodon
- Drakaea – Hammer Orchids, Orchids of South_West Australia, https://chookman.id.au/wp_orchids/?page_id=477
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)
FloraFlora in Australia Flora Index Acacia Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Annual Yellowtop Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme Apple Bush (Pterocaulon sphacelatum) Australian Bluebell Australian Gossypium Banksia Batswing Coral Tree Billy Buttons Birdsville Indigo Blue Pincushion Bush Banana Callistemon Callitris drummondii (Drummond’s Cypress Pine) Calothamnus quadrifidus Cape Honeysuckle Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) Cattle Bush Common Heath Crotalaria Darwinia wittwerorum (Wittwer’s Mountain Bell) Daviesia oppositifolia (Rattle-pea) Desert Oaks Drumsticks Eremophila Eucalyptus Ficus Flannel Cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum) Georges Indigo Goatshead Burr (Sclerolaena bicornis) Golden Everlasting Goodenia Gossypium Grass and Grasses Grass Trees Grevillea Grey Germander Hakea Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) Lambertia sp Leptospermum MacDonnell Ranges Cycad Maireana scleroptera Mexican Poppy Minnie Daisy Mistletoe Family Nardoo Native Apricot Nicotiana megalosiphon subspecies sessilifolia Nuytsia floribunda Orange Spade Flower Orchidaceae Parakeelyas (Calandrinia) Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Perennial Yellow Top Pink Everlasting Pink Rock Wort Poached Egg Daisy Portulaca Proteaceae Ptilotus Quandong Resurrection Fern Rosy Dock Ruby Saltbush Santalum Solanum Spike Centaury Spinifex Storkbill (Erodum cygnorum) Striped Mint Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tall Saltbush Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Tribulus eichlerianus Upside-down Plant Urodon dasyphylla Variable Daisy Waratah (Telopea) Wertabona Daisy White Cedar (Melia azedarach) White Indigo White Paper Daisy Wild Passionfruit Wild Stock Woolly-Headed Burr Daisy Woolly Bush Yellow-keeled Swainsona