The botanical world contains many wonders, and among the most captivating is the “drake flower,” more widely known as the Flying Duck Orchid. This extraordinary plant stands out due to its remarkably unusual appearance. Its distinctive shape, mimicking a duck in flight, has fascinated botanists and enthusiasts, highlighting its unique beauty and the intricate natural processes governing its existence.
What is the Drake Flower?
The drake flower is the common name for Caleana major, also known as the Flying Duck Orchid. This terrestrial plant earned its name from its flower’s uncanny resemblance to a duck in mid-flight. The flower typically displays reddish-brown, purple, and green hues, though occasionally greenish flowers with dark spots can be found.
The flower’s structure ingeniously forms the duck-like shape. The labellum, a modified petal, forms the “duck’s head” or “beak” with a smooth, shiny, dark reddish-purple appearance. The two lateral sepals curve backward, resembling “wings,” while the dorsal sepal and petals contribute to the overall form. These small blooms measure approximately 0.5 to 0.8 inches (1 to 2 cm) in length and are borne on a thin, wiry flowering stem that can reach up to 20 inches (50 cm) tall.
Where the Drake Flower Grows
The Flying Duck Orchid is native to eastern and southern Australia, found across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania. It typically grows in eucalyptus woodlands. It thrives in specific soil conditions, often preferring sandy or gravelly soils found in open forests, coastal shrublands, and heathlands.
While predominantly found near the coastline, some populations can also occur at higher altitudes. The plant is relatively small and its reddish-brown colors allow it to blend seamlessly with its environment, making it difficult to spot in the wild. This orchid often forms small, sparse colonies, sometimes appearing at the base of trees or in slightly disturbed areas.
How the Drake Flower Pollinates
The pollination of the Flying Duck Orchid is a highly specialized and fascinating process known as pseudocopulation. This orchid has evolved to mimic the appearance and pheromones of a female thynnid wasp, specifically to attract male sawflies. The flower’s labellum plays a central role in this elaborate deception.
When a male sawfly, enticed by the orchid’s mimicry of a female, lands on the flower’s labellum, the labellum is triggered to snap downwards rapidly. This movement traps the unsuspecting wasp between the labellum and the column, which contains the orchid’s pollen. The trapped insect struggles to escape, depositing or picking up pollen. Once the sawfly frees itself, the labellum slowly returns to its original position, ready to deceive the next male wasp. This precise mechanism ensures the orchid’s pollination without offering any nectar or other rewards, highlighting a unique co-evolutionary relationship.
Caring for and Conserving the Drake Flower
Cultivating the Flying Duck Orchid outside of its natural habitat is extremely difficult for hobbyists. The primary reason for this difficulty lies in its specific symbiotic relationship with a type of mycorrhizal fungus found exclusively in its native Australian woodlands. This fungus is essential for the orchid’s health and survival, fighting off infections and providing necessary nutrients that the orchid cannot acquire on its own. Attempts to grow Caleana major often result in the plants weakening and dying within one or two years without this specialized fungus. Therefore, removing these orchids from their wild settings is not recommended, as it almost invariably leads to their demise and further depletes wild populations.
While some sources indicate it is not considered at risk in the wild, others list it as vulnerable in South Australia and critically endangered in certain regions due to threats such as habitat destruction, altered fire frequencies, and a decrease in pollinator populations. Conservation efforts, including recovery plans, focus on protecting its natural habitat and understanding the complex ecological interactions that support its survival.