Caladenia vulgaris, commonly known as summer fingers, or slender pink-fingers is a species of orchid endemic to southern Australia. It has a single, long, erect, hairy leaf and one or two pink or whitish flowers.
Caladenia vulgaris is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and which usually grows as solitary plants. It has a single hairy, dark green leaf, 150âÂÂ270 mm long, 2âÂÂ3 mm wide which is red near its base. One or two dull pinkish to white flowers about 12 mm wide are borne on a stalk 150âÂÂ360 mm tall. The backs of the flowers are densely hairy and pinkish with brown bands. The sepal is 10âÂÂ15 mm long, 2âÂÂ4 mm wide and curves forward over the column. The sepals are 10âÂÂ18 mm long, 3âÂÂ6 mm wide, slightly curved and fused at their bases. The petals are 10âÂÂ17 mm long, 3âÂÂ5 mm wide and spread widely. The labellum is 5âÂÂ7 mm long and 5âÂÂ8 mm wide, white or pink with narrow red bars and a yellow tip. The lateral lobes of the labellum are erect and surround the column while the central part has eight to ten short teeth on the sides. The tip of the labellum is curves slightly downwards and there are two rows of yellow to orange stalked calli along the mid-line. Flowering occurs from October to January but some flowers are self-pollinating and do not fully open.
Caladenia vulgaris was first described in 1998 by David Jones from a specimen collected near Glencoe and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research. The specific epithet (vulgaris) is a Latin word meaning "common" or "commonplace".
Summer fingers occurs in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. In Victoria and South Australia it grows in moist heath and in Tasmania it also grows in moist forest and rainforest.