SPECIES: Caladenia melanema — Ballerina Orchid
CLASSIFICATION: Critically endangered
How on earth does nature manage to create such a wonder? The Ballerina Orchid looks exactly as the names suggests, with a petite, delicate flower that looks just like a ballerina. Endemic to the south-west of WA, the Ballerina Orchid is quite a rare species of orchid. Relatively newly discovered, the Ballerina Orchid was first observed in 2001. It is presently only known from two populations, of which there are about 300 plants remaining. It grows in sand near salt lakes, and is threatened mainly by land clearing, grazing by kangaroos and road maintenance.