Midget Duck Orchid
Paracaleana lyonsii
Synonyms
- Caleana lyonsii
Notes
The Midget Duck Orchid is endemic to south-western Australia and unique among WA’s Duck Orchids in that each flower stem can carry up to ten individual flowers rather than just one or two. Its flowers are also the smallest among all Duck Orchids, measuring just 5 mm across. Due to its small size and semi-arid habitat in the northern and eastern Wheatbelt and neighbouring Goldfields, the species had been unknown until 1994 when Michael Lyons from WA’s Department of Conservation and Land Management found it north of the Murchison River during a biological survey.
Midget Duck Orchids occur in scattered populations from north of Kalbarri to near Southern Cross and grow in a variety of habitats. North of the Murchison River the orchids thrive in sandy soils amid sedges and in the vicinity of trees and shrubs, while further south they have been found amid spinifex (Triodia tomentosa) and adjacent to granite outcrops. The flowering period extends from September to November at a time when the habitat is usually quite dry and the long, slender leaves are already withered. Although the orchids often grow in small colonies and are generally common, they are extremely difficult to find as a result of their small size, dull colouration and their habit of growing amid dense sedges where they are often hidden from view.
Photos
References
- Paracaleana lyonsii in the Australian Plant Name Index
- Paracaleana lyonsii in the Atlas of Living Australia
- Paracaleana lyonsii in the Western Australian FloraBase