Caladenia marginata
White fairy orchid Caladenia marginata is a small, ground-dwelling orchid native to the southwest of Western Australia. It grows from an underground tuber and often forms dense colonies. The plant has a single pale green, hairy leaf about 40–120 mm long and 15 mm wide. From the leaf, a stalk 80–200 mm tall carries up to four creamy-white flowers (sometimes pink). The backs of the sepals and petals are rusty brown. The dorsal sepal is erect, about 12–15 mm long and 2–4 mm wide; the lateral sepals are 13–16 mm long and 4–6 mm wide and spread stiffly. The petals are 10–13 mm long and 3–4 mm wide and spread like the lateral sepals. The labellum is 6.5–8 mm long and wide, with a few teeth on its sides and two rows of yellowish calli at the center. Flowers appear from late September to November, with the most flowers blooming after the previous summer’s fires.
Although it looks similar to the white/pink forms of C. latifolia, marginata flowers later and has smaller flowers with brown hairs on the back.
Taxonomy and naming: Caladenia marginata was described by John Lindley in 1840. The name marginata means "bordered," referring to the thickened border around the sepals and petals.
Distribution and habitat: White fairy orchid occurs from Jurien Bay to Israelite Bay, growing in swamps and on shallow soils over granite outcrops. It is found in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain, and Warren biogeographic regions.
Conservation status: Not Threatened in Western Australia.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:29 (CET).