About Caladenia catenata (Sm.) Druce
Caladenia catenata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous herb that grows from an underground tuber. It produces a single, sparsely hairy linear leaf, which is 6 to 14 centimetres (2 to 6 inches) long and 3 to 4 millimetres (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. One or two flowers are held on a slender, sparsely hairy flowering spike that reaches 10 to 30 centimetres (4 to 10 inches) in height. The sepals and petals are glistening white, rarely pink, and are sparsely hairy on the lower portion of their outer surfaces. The dorsal sepal is linear to oblong in shape, erect or slightly curved forward, and measures 15 to 22 millimetres (0.6 to 0.9 inches) long. The lateral sepals and petals are roughly the same length as the dorsal sepal and spread outwards from the flower. The labellum is white or pinkish with a yellow-orange tip. It is 8 to 10 millimetres (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long and 6 to 18 millimetres (0.2 to 0.7 inches) wide when flattened, and is divided into three lobes. The central lobe is triangular, longer than the lateral lobes, curves downward, and has finger-like teeth along its edges. The lateral lobes are narrow and may have a small number of teeth near their tips. Two rows of yellow or white, club-shaped calli run along the centre of the mid-lobe, extending only as far forward as the front edge of the lateral lobes. Flowering occurs between August and November, and flowering starts earlier in New South Wales than it does in Victoria. This species of Caladenia is similar to Caladenia carnea, but can be distinguished by the absence of red and white bars on its labellum. Hybrids between C. catenata and C. carnea occur in some locations. In terms of distribution and habitat, this orchid is uncommon in Victoria, where it grows in scattered populations in forest and woodland areas east of Melbourne. It is more common in New South Wales, where it most often grows in sandy soil within coastal forest and shrubland. It is probably the most common Caladenia species found in the Sydney region.
