Flying duck orchid.

En un coup d'œil

Niveau d'entretien

Difficile

Type de plante

Terrestrial orchid

Lumière

Partial shade

Lumière en intérieur

Lumière vive indirecte

Arrosage

Tous les 5 à 10 jours

Taille adulte

20 to 50 centimeters

Croissance

Lente

Rusticité

USDA 9 à 11

Floraison

Late spring to early summer

Entretien

This orchid requires a specific symbiotic fungus in the soil to survive. Keep the soil moist during the growing season and allow it to dry out during the dormant phase. Watch for signs of rot if the soil stays too wet for too long.

Arrosage

Keep the soil consistently moist while the plant is actively growing.

Engrais

Use a very weak balanced liquid fertilizer during the active growing season.

Taille

Remove dead foliage only after the plant has entered full dormancy.

Rempotage

Repot during the dormant season to avoid damaging the sensitive tuber.

Sol

Well draining sandy loam

pH du sol

Acidic

Température

5 à 25°C

Humidité

50 à 70%

Sécurité

Humains

There is no evidence of human toxicity, but it is not considered a food plant.

Enfants

The small, delicate structure of the plant makes it unsuitable for handling by small children.

Comestibilité

This plant is not edible and should never be consumed.

Comment l'identifier

• Flower resembles a duck in flight
• Single reddish brown flower
• Small solitary basal leaf
• Slender wiry stem

Hauteur

0,2 à 0,5m

Envergure

0,05 à 0,1m

Feuilles

green, deciduous

Fleurs

reddish-brown, green, 2 à 3cm

Problèmes courants

• Root rot — Fungal decay caused by overly wet soil conditions during the dormant period.

La cultiver

Multiplication

seed

Quand planter

autumn

Keep this plant in a specialized orchid collection rather than a general garden bed.

Bonnes associations

• Eucalyptus — These trees provide the dappled shade and leaf litter environment the orchid prefers.

Espèces similaires

• Caleana minor — It is a smaller relative with a similar duck-like flower shape.

Science

Famille

Orchidaceae

Genre

Caleana

Ordre

Asparagales

Classe

Liliopsida

Région d'origine

Eastern and southern Australia

Préservation

This orchid is protected in many parts of its native range and should never be collected from the wild.

It grows in eucalyptus forests and woodlands where it depends on specific soil fungi for nutrient exchange.

Intérêt pour la faune

specialized pollination mechanism

Pollinisateurs

abeilles

Utilisations

ornamental curiosity, botanical interest

Taxonomie vérifiée avec le GBIF.

Ce qu'on demande souvent

Can I grow this in a pot?

It is extremely challenging to keep alive in containers due to its strict fungal requirements.

Why did my plant disappear?

The plant is deciduous and naturally dies back to its underground tuber during the summer.

D'où vient le nom

The genus honors George Caley, an early botanical explorer in Australia, while the species name major refers to its relatively large size compared to other species.

Bon à savoir

• It is commonly called the Flying Duck Orchid because the flower looks like a duck in flight.
• The plant is notoriously difficult to grow in cultivation.
• It relies on a specific mycorrhizal fungus in the soil to survive.

Aussi dans

• Plantes d'ombre