About Caladenia arenicola Hopper & A.P.Br.
Caladenia arenicola Hopper & A.P.Br. is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous herb. It grows from an underground tuber and produces a single erect, hairy leaf that is 15–25 cm (6–10 in) long and 5–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) wide. Its inflorescence is a raceme that stands 30–60 cm (10–20 in) high and bears up to three flowers. Each individual flower is 8–10 cm (3–4 in) long and 6–8 cm (2–3 in) wide. The dorsal sepal of the flower is held erect, while the lateral sepals and petals spread widely, and have narrow scent-producing glands at their tips. The labellum is more than 11 mm (0.4 in) wide, with long calli along its edges, and four or more roughly parallel rows of calli along its centre. Flowering occurs between late August and October, and after flowering the plant produces a non-fleshy, dehiscent capsule that contains a large number of seeds. This species, commonly called the carousel spider orchid, is distributed between Lancelin and Yarloop, within the Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions. It grows in sandy soil in Allocasuarina, Eucalyptus, or Banksia woodland.
