Caladenia pallida Lindl. (1840:421)
Rosy spider-orchid
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonyms: Caladenia patersonii var. pallida (Lindl.) Rchb.f. in Beitr. Syst. Pflanzenk.: 66 (1871); Arachnorchis pallida (Lindl.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. in Orchadian 13: 395 (2001); Calonema pallidum (Lindl.) Szlach. in Polish Bot. J. 46: 18 (2001); Calonemorchis pallida (Lindl.) Szlach. in Polish Bot. J. 46: 141 (2001)
Conservation Status
Missing (Backhouse et al., 2016:10,105 [as "possibly extinct"])
Last record: 1987 (Threatened Species Section, 2013, 2017)
Distribution & Habitat
Tasmania, Australia
Invariably considered a Tasmanian endemic, for some unknown reason POWO (2025) also lists Victoria in its geographical distribution.
Anatomy & Morphology
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Lindley, J. (1840). The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants. Ridgways, Piccadilly.
Other references:
Backhouse, Gary N., Bates, Robert J., Brown, Andrew P. and Copeland, Lachlan M. (2016). Checklist of the Orchids of Australia Including its Island Territories. Version 1. Unpublished. 139 pp.
Backhouse, Gary N., Bates, Robert J., Brown, Andrew P. and Copeland, Lachlan M. (2019). Checklist of the Orchids of Australia Including its Island Territories, second edition. Melbourne. 148 pp.
Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.
Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Monocotyledons Database in ACCESS: 1-71827. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Jones, David L. (1998). A taxonomic review of Caladenia in Tasmania. Australian Orchid Research 3: 16-60.
Jones, David L. (2006). A Complete Guide to Native Orchids of Australia including the Island Territories. Sydney: New Holland Publishers (Australia).
Jones, David L., Wapstra, H., Tonelli, P. and Harris, S. (1999). The Orchids of Tasmania. Carlton South, VIC: Melbourne University Press.
POWO. (2025). Plants of the World Online (online resource). Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org/ [Accessed 2 August 2025]
Threatened Species Section. (2013). Listing Statement for Caladenia pallida (rosy spider-orchid). Hobart, TAS: Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment. [automatic download]
Threatened Species Section. (2017). Threatened Tasmanian Orchids Flora Recovery Plan. Hobart, TAS: Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment.
Threatened Species Section. (2025). Rosy spider-orchid (Caladenia pallida): Species Management Profile for Tasmania's Threatened Species Link. Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania. Available at: https://www.threatenedspecieslink.tas.gov.au/pages/caladenia-pallida.aspx [Accessed on 2/8/2025]
Threatened Species Unit. (2006). Flora Recovery Plan: Threatened Tasmanian Orchids 2006–2010. Hobart, TAS: Department of Primary Industries and Water.
Wapstra, Hans, Wapstra, Annie, Wapstra, Mark and Gilfedder, Louise. (2005). The Little Book of Common Names for Tasmanian Plants. Hobart, TAS: Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment. 88 pp.
Wapstra, Mark, Roberts, N., Wapstra, H. and Wapstra, A. (2008). Flowering Times of Tasmanian Orchids: A Practical Guide for Field Botanists. Self-published by the authors (April 2008 version).
Ziegeler, D. (1997). A Recovery Plan and Management Guidelines for Threatened Orchids in Tasmanian Forests. Report to the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement Environment and Heritage Technical Committee.