86 Tlie Queensland Naturalist July, 1940 
A DISTINCTIVE FORM OF CALADENIA 
CARNEA, R.Br. 
C. carnca- var. gracillima, var. nov. 
By tlie Rev. II. M. It. Rupp, Nortlibridge, N.S.W. 
It is now nearly ten years since 
tlie Rev. E. Nonnan McKie, of 
Ctuyra, N.S.W., sent me a gener- 
ous number of specimens of a 
Caladenia wliicli lie had found 
during a holiday in the Yandina 
district of South Queensland. At 
first 1 was inclined to think it was 
an undescribed species; but sub- 
sequently 1 told Mr. McKie it 
would be difficult to distinguish 
it specifically from C. carnea, 
which exhibits so many variations 
from the type and there the matter 
was allowed to rest. Recently I 
have had the leisure and the oppor- 
tunity to make a more exhaustive 
examination of the flowers at the 
National Herbarium in Sydney. 
While adhering to the opinion 
that tliis dainty and attractive 
little orchid may and should be 
placed in C. carnea, it is so dis- 
tinctive, both in its general appear- 
ance and in some of tlie floral de- 
tails, that I feel it merits definite 
varietal rank. In allusion to its 
exceedingly slender and graceful 
form, I propose that it be recog- 
nised as var. gracillima. 
Planta gracillima, 12-24 cm 
alta. Sepala petalaque angustata, 
acuminata, rosea. Labellum angus- 
tatum, alte trilobatum; lobi later- 
ales interdum purpurei: lobus 
medius ad apicem flavus aut 
aurantiacus : ealli omnes aurantiaci 
aut rubri. Columna 4-5 lineis 
transversis rubris. 
With the possible exception of 
var. gigantea, this is the most at- 
tractive form of C. carnea I have 
seen. The colour of the perianth 
