Caladenia exstans
Caladenia exstans, commonly known as the pointing spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single, hairy leaf and one or two green, yellow and red flowers with a labellum which does not curl downwards but "points" forward. Description. "Caladenia exstans" is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and which has a single erect, hairy leaf, long and wide. One or two green, yellow and red flowers long and wide are borne on a stalk high. The dorsal sepal is erect , long and about wide at the base. The lateral sepals are long, wide at the base, closely parallel to each other and curve forward and upwards. The sepals have thin, yellowish glandular tips. The petals are long, about wide at their bases and curve backwards. The labellum is long, wide and delicately hinged. It is greenish-yellow with a dark reddish-purple tip which is not curled under but points forward. The edges of the labellum are smooth and there are four or more rows of deep red calli along its centre. Flowering occurs from September to early November. The  cryptic colouration of this orchid and the relatively small flower on a long stem make this orchid difficult to find but it is the only greenish spider orchid with a smooth-edged labellum occurring east of Esperance. Taxonomy and naming. "Caladenia exstans" was first described by Stephen Hopper and Andrew Brown in 2001 from a specimen collected near Esperance. The description was published in "Nuytsia". The specific epithet ("exstans") is a Latin word meaning "projecting" referring to the pointed labellum. Distribution and habitat. Pointing spider orchid is found between Esperance and Israelite Bay in the Esperance Plains biogeographic region where  it grows in swamp yate forest and in shallow soil on and near granite outcrops. Conservation. "Caladenia exstans" is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.