Caleana major, the Flying Duck Orchid is a small orchid found in eastern and southern Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. This terrestrial plant features a remarkable flower, resembling a duck in flight. The flower is an attractant to insects, such as male sawflies which pollinate the flower in a process known as pseudocopulation

Pseudocopulation

Pseudocopulation describes behaviors similar to copulation that serve a reproductive function for one or both participants but do not involve actual sexual union between the individuals. It is most generally applied to a pollinator attempting to copulate with a flower. Some flowers mimic a...

. In 1986 this orchid was featured on an Australian postage stamp

Postage stamp

A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...

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Description

Caleana major is encountered as a terrestrial herb, up to 50 cm (20 in) tall. 2-4 flowers grow on the green stem. The single leaf, appears near the base of the stalk. It is usually prostrate, narrow-lanceolate, to 12 cm (5 in) long and 8 mm wide, often spotted. The flower is reddish-brown, 15 to 20 mm long. In rare cases, the flower can be greenish with dark spots. The plant is pollinated by insects. A sensitive strap is attached to the flower, which is triggered by vibration. Flowering occurs from September to January.

Distribution and habitat

Occurring from Queensland to South Australia, to even Tasmania, this plant is found in eucalyptus

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...

 woodland in coastal or swampy shrubland and heathland. Mostly near the coast, but occasionally at higher altitudes. Because of the small size, it is a difficult plant to notice in the wild.

Taxonomy

The genus Caleana was named after George Caley

George Caley

-Early life:Caley was born in Craven, Yorkshire, England, the son of a horse-dealer. He was educated at the Free Grammar School at Manchester for around four years and was then taken into his father's stables. Coming across a volume on farriery, he became interested in the herbs mentioned in...

, an early botanical collector. Latin for "larger", major refers to the contrast with the other smaller Duck orchid, Paracaleana minor.

The original specimen of this plant was collected at Bennelong Point, the present day site of the Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...

 in September, 1803. In 1810, the species originally appeared in the scientific literature, Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, authored by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown

Robert Brown (botanist)

Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...

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Cultivation

Caleana major has been difficult to maintain in cultivation. Plants flower for one or sometimes two years but progressively weaken until they die.