Drakaea elastica Lindl.
WANOSCG Orchid Fact Sheet
Drakaea elastica
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Name and Authority
Synonyms (previous names)
Drakaea jeanensis
Common Name
Glossy-leafed Hammer Orchid
Originally Described by
John Lindley in Sketch Veg.Swan R. 55 (1840)
Distribution and Habitat
Busselton to Cataby, growing in sandy soils in woodlands and shrublands on the coastal plain.
Flowering Months
· · · · · · · · · Oct Nov ·
Description
A rare species 120–300 mm high with a smooth glossy, light-green (when fresh), heart-shaped, ground-hugging leaf 12–20 mm long by 11–18 mm wide and a single dull greenish-yellow and purplish-red flower 4–5 mm across.
Distinguishing Features
It is distinguished from the related Kneeling Hammer Orchid (Drakaea concolor) by its glossy, light green leaf, two coloured labellum with a broader head-like top and more southerly distribution.
WA Conservation Code (Threatened Status)
Threatened (Critically Endangered)
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