The hairy leaves of spider orchids are appearing in many areas around the district now.
Spider Orchid leaves
One of the first spider orchids to flower is the Small Green-comb Spider Orchid, Caladenia parva, which is often overlooked due to its small size.
Small Green-comb Spider Orchid
This orchid is very similar to the Eastern Mantis Orchid, C. tentacula, which flowers later, during October and November, but is less than 15 cm tall compared to the 50 cm Mantis Orchid. The labellum with its deep maroon tip has green comb-like edges, which when looked at from side-on are lower than the top of the column. Look for this beautiful little orchid in open forests and woodlands.
Alison Watson and Maragaret MacDonald