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Flying Duck Orchid
~ Caleana major ~
ORCHIDACEAE
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Mother Nature gets weird on us once again with the sweet but deceptive Flying Duck Orchid. The flowers may look like sweet ducklets in flight to the human eye, but if you’re a male sawfly you’ll be looking at the alluring mirage of a female sawfly who’s ready for some pseudo-copulation. Unfortunately for the male sawfly, he will soon realise his new girlfriend is a farce, as he literally gets trapped by the ‘beak’ of the flower (the labellum), forcing him to pass through a dusting of pollen as he exits the trap. Although sawflies may not intend to be pollinators, they play a critical role in the survival of the Flying Duck Orchid. Aside from pollination, there is another love story nature has orchestrated: Caleana major has a symbiotic relationship with Mycorrhizal Fungi that assists it in germination, nutrient absorption and immunity, so it may be difficult to cultivate (see p. 3).
WHERE TO LOOK
Flying Duck Orchids can be found solo in heathland areas throughout the temperate east and south-east of the country. Heaths, though infertile land, can be a biodiversity paradise. You’ll find these flowers in the company of low-growing vegetation and low-density Eucalypt woodland in coastal and near-coastal scrub.
Locations → NSW: Blue Mountains National Park, Gibraltar Range National Park and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park; Victoria: Wilsons Promontory National Park, Brisbane Ranges National Park, Croajingolong National Park and Anglesea Heath.
FEATURES
These ducklings only grow to about 1.5cm and sit in clusters of one to five on a stem reaching 40cm high. Alongside the stem grows one solo leaf that is reddish and grass-like, standing up to 10cm tall. When touched or irritated by a potential pollinator, the labellum (which looks like the duck’s head) snaps down, trapping the insect and dusting it with pollen. The fruit are papery capsules that burst open to release thousands of dust-like seeds that will be dispersed by a breeze and go on to create more sweet ducklings. There is also a smaller version of this ducky flower, called Caleana minor.
FLOWERING SEASON
Spring and summer → This perennial flowers between September and January.
