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Project: 366/2025
Title: Ex-situ propagation of the endangered Caladenia gladiolata for recovery in Mt Remarkable National Park, SA
Applicant: Foundation of Australia’s Most Endangered Species Ltd (FAME)
Institution: Adelaide Botanic Gardens Foundation and South Australia Seed Conservation Centre
Project Outline:
The Caladenia gladiolata (Bayonet Spider-orchid) recovery project at Mount Remarkable National Park in South Australia, is a conservation initiative led by the Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species Ltd (FAME), in partnership with the Adelaide Botanic Gardens and the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre (SASCC).
Nationally, this orchid is critically endangered, with fewer than 200 flowering individuals left in the wild. Its largest remaining population in Mount Remarkable was severely impacted by the February 2025 wildfire, which has intensified risks from weeds, habitat loss, and herbivory.
The project (July 2025 – June 2026) focuses on:
- Propagating 200 robust, genetically diverse plants using advancedin-vitro symbiotic germination with mycorrhizal fungi.
- Establishing an ex-situ insurance population at SASCC and Adelaide Botanic Gardens to secure the species’ survival.
- Using five years of baseline monitoring data to study post-fire dynamics and guide future reinforcement or translocation into the wild.
- Integrating results into conservation databases and management frameworks, while engaging with local communities and stakeholders.
Expected outcomes include securing an ex-situ population, improving scientific understanding of post-fire orchid recovery, and laying the groundwork for rewilding efforts to prevent extinction.
Project Outcomes:
Caladenia gladiolata recovery in Mount Remarkable National Park
This project has substantially improved knowledge of the ecology and conservation requirements of the endangered Bayonet Spider-orchid (Caladenia gladiolata) in Mount Remarkable National Park in South Australia. Repeated monitoring of the population, including surveys following the Alligator Gorge wildfire in 2025, demonstrated an exceptional post-fire flowering response and confirmed that the species’ highly specialised pollinator remained present and active despite extensive fire impacts.
High levels of natural pollination provided valuable evidence that key ecological relationships were maintained, supporting the role of appropriate fire regimes in the species’ long-term recovery.
The project also strengthened ex situ conservation capacity for C. gladiolata. Genetically representative seed collections secured more than 1.6 million seeds across two collection seasons for long-term conservation, while successful isolation and application of compatible mycorrhizal fungi enabled reliable symbiotic germination and propagation. These advances resulted in almost 600 healthy plants being established in cultivation, greatly exceeding the original propagation target and providing a robust foundation for future population reinforcement and recovery actions in Mount Remarkable National Park.
We sincerely thank the Australian Orchid Foundation for its generous support of this project.
