Citation: R. Rogers, Trans. R.Soc. S. Aust. 54:45 (1930).

Synonymy: C. huegelii Reichb. f. var. rigida (R. Rogers)J. Weber & Bates in J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 398 (1978). , Arachnorchis rigida, Calonema rigidum, Calonemorchis rigida

Common name: White spider-orchid.

Description:
Stems slender, 20-30 cm long, greenish or reddish, quite hairy; leaf sheathing the scape basally, linear-lanceolate, 3-20 cm long and 3-5 rarely to 10 mm wide, very hairy; the hairs often expanded basally into papillose sacs.

Flowers 1 or 2; perianth-segments spreading, cream-white with a reddish-brown longitudinal central stripe on the underside; dorsal sepal 2-4 cm long, erect and incurred over the column, narrower than the other perianth-segments, dilated in its proximal end, the upper portion gradually tapering into clavate filamentous red, dark-brown or yellow-green tips c. 1 cm long; lateral sepals lanceolate, 2.5-5 cm long and 2.5-4.5 mm wide, 5-nerved, spreading or deflexed, gradually narrowing into clavate filamentous tips like the dorsal sepal; petals reflexed, lanceolate, acuminate, 2-4 cm long and 2-4 mm wide, 5-nerved, without a glandular-clavate tip; labellum on a movable claw, ovate, acute, undivided, 9-13 x 9-10 mm, pure cream-white, margin with long-subulate red-brown teeth which are tipped white, decreasing in length towards the tip and becoming short-denticulate and often unstained at the apex; calli in 4 rows mostly in the basal half of the labellum, mainly club-shaped at the base, forwards gradually linear and sessile, not reaching the apex, red with white tips; column c. 10 mm long, with 2 sessile yellow glands at the base, erect and thereafter incurved, sometimes retracted at the base, moderately winged below, with a wide membranous expansion above on each side near the elliptical stigma; anther with a straight sharp point.

Published illustration: Fiveash & Lothian (1974) Australian orchids, t. 60, 3rd from right & t. 74, centre, both as C. patersonii; Gentry & Foreman (1979) Native orchids of South Australia, unnumbered plate as C. huegelii var. rigida.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: SL. Conservation status: native Flowering time: No flowering time is available

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available