Thelymitra apiculata

Cleopatra's needles
Thelymitra apiculata
Conservation status
Priority Four — Rare Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Orchidoideae
Tribe:	Diurideae
Genus:	Thelymitra
Species:	T. apiculata
Binomial name
Thelymitra apiculata (A.S.George) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. [1]
Synonyms [1]
Macdonaldia apiculata(A.S.George) Szlach. Macdonaldia apiculata(A.S.George) Szlach. isonym Thelymitra apiculataD.L.Jones nom. inval. Thelymitra variegata var. apiculataA.S.George

Thelymitra apiculata, commonly called Cleopatra's needles, ^[2] is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, curved, dark green leaf with a purplish base and up to twelve purplish flowers with darker blotches and golden yellow edges. There are two yellow arms on the sides of the column, each ending with a needle-like point.

Description

Thelymitra apiculata is a tuberous, perennial herb with an erect, channelled, dark green, linear to lance-shaped leaf 40–80 mm (2–3 in) long and 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide with a purplish base. Between two and twelve glossy, bright purple to pinkish purple flowers with darker spots and golden yellow edges, 25–30 mm (0.98–1.2 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem 200–350 mm (8–10 in) tall. The sepals and petals are 12–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide. The column is a similar colour to the petals, 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide with a cluster of small finger-like glands on its back. There are two erect yellow arms on the sides of the column, each ending in a needle-like point. Flowering occurs from late May to July. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

Taxonomy and naming

Cleopatra's needles was first formally described in 1984 by Alex George from a specimen collected near Badgingarra and given the name Thelymitra variegata var. apiculata. The description was published in Nuytsia . ^[6] In 1989 David Jones and Mark Clements raised the variety to species status as T. apiculata. ^[7] The specific epithet (apiculata) is a Latin word meaning "small pointed", ^[8] referring to the short, needle-like tip of the column arms. ^[3]

Distribution and habitat

Thelymitra apiculata grows with low shrubs on top of low lateritic hills in the Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions. ^{[3] [2] [4] [9]}

Conservation

Thelymitra apiculata is classified as "Priority Four" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife, ^[9] meaning that is rare or near threatened. ^[10]

References

1. "Thelymitra apiculata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
2. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 254. ISBN   1877069124.
3. Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 424. ISBN   9780980296457.
4. Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 308. ISBN   9780646562322.
5. Jeanes, Jeffrey A. (2009). "Resolution of the Thelymitra variegata (Orchidaceae) complex of southern Australia and New Zealand" (PDF). Muelleria. 27 (2): 163–164. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
6. "Thelymitra variegata var. apiculata". APNI. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
7. "Thelymitra apiculata". APNI. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
8. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 95.
9. "Thelymitra apiculata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
10. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 9 June 2018.