C is for CALADENIA, CALLISTEMON and CLEMATIS

Caladenia denticulata, known as the spider orchid, is a tuberous perennial herb 0.15-0.35m high with a strong putrid odour and three colour forms: yellow, white/pink and red, and flower through September and October.  They grow in laterite, clay, loam and deep sand; winter-wet flats, river banks and creeklines in the southwest of Western Australia.  (I have picked spider orchids occasionally when out in the bush but had never noticed they had a bad smell).  They are found in the Avon wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Geraldton sandplains, jarrah forest and the Swan coastal plain.

Caladenia flava commonly known as the cowslip orchid is found across southwest Western Australia. It is a perennial herb with underground stems.  The leaf and flowerstalk appear from these to present several yellow flowers during July-December.  They grow in many different soil types including laterite and granite.

Callistemon glaucus, known as the Albany bottlebrush, is a shrub in the family Myrtaceae.  The species is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia and grows up to between 1 and 3 metres in height and has a slender, erect habit.  Red flower spikes are produced from September to December in the species native range.  (We have one in our front garden that actually flowers later than that).  It occurs on sandy or clay soils on swampy flats between Perth and Albany.

Clematis pubescens, known locally as common clematis, is a member of the Ranunculaceae family, found in coastal regions of southern Western Australia.  It is a strong, dioecious, woody shrub or climber to 5 metres high with white-cream flowers from May to November.  It can be found in the Avon wheatbelt, Esperance plains, jarrah forest, mallee, Swan coastal plain and Warren.  (I remember when holidaying down in Denmark on our south coast seeing the clematis climbing over various shrubs and trees, and it was a beautiful sight).

I am trying, if I possibly can, to only show wildflowers endemic to Western Australia alone. Sometimes a genus will grow in other states but with certain species of that genus only growing in the West.