Mauve-tufted sun orchid | |
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Thelymitra malvina on Wilsons Promontory | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Orchidaceae |
Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
Tribe: | Diurideae |
Genus: | Thelymitra |
Species: | T. malvina |
Binomial name | |
Thelymitra malvina | |
Thelymitra malvina, commonly called the mauve-tufted sun orchid, [2] is a species of orchid that is native to eastern Australia and New Zealand. It has a single large, fleshy leaf and up to twenty five blue to mauve flowers with pink or mauve tufts on top of the anther.
Thelymitra malvina is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single leathery, fleshy, channelled, dark green, linear to lance-shaped leaf 100–350 mm (4–10 in) long and 5–20 mm (0.2–0.8 in) wide with a purplish base. Between three and twenty five blue to mauve flowers 18–32 mm (0.7–1 in) wide are arranged on a flowering stem 250–750 mm (10–30 in) tall. There are usually three bracts along the flowering stem. The sepals and petals are 8–20 mm (0.3–0.8 in) long and 3–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide. The column is white to blue, 6–7.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.14 in) wide. The lobe on the top of the anther is dark reddish brown with a yellow tip and tube-shaped. The side lobes turn forwards and have pink or mauve, mop-like tufts on their ends. The flowers are scented, insect-pollinated and open on hot days. Flowering occurs from November to January. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Thelymitra malvina was first formally described in 1989 by David Jones and Brian Molloy from a specimen collected near Dartmoor and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research. [7] The specific epithet (malvina) "refers to the mauve hair tufts". [8]
In Australia, the mauve-tufted sun orchid grows forest, woodlands and heath. It occurs in Queensland south from Mount Moffatt in the Carnarvon National Park, in coastal areas of New South Wales and southern Victoria and on the north and east coasts, King and Flinders Islands of Tasmania. In New Zealand, this orchid only occurs on northern parts of the North Island where it grows in wetlands, usually on rotting logs of kauri. [2] [3] [4] [9] [10]
Thelymitra alcockiae, commonly called Kath's sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to southern continental Australia. It has a single long, narrow leaf and up to twelve pale blue to deep purplish blue flowers, mauve or reddish on their back side.
Thelymitra megacalyptra, commonly called the plains sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single erect, fleshy leaf and up to fifteen blue to purplish, sometimes lilac, pink or white flowers with white tufts on top of the anther. It is known as Thelymitra megcalyptra by some authorities.
Thelymitra basaltica, commonly called the grassland sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to Victoria. It has a single fleshy, channelled, dark green leaf and up to eight small pale blue, self-pollinating flowers which open only slowly on warm to hot days.
Thelymitra exigua, commonly called the short sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single fleshy, channelled, dark green leaf and up to eight relatively small pale blue flowers with white toothbrush-like tufts on top of the anther.
Thelymitra cyanapicata, commonly called the dark-tipped sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to South Australia. It has a single fleshy, linear, channelled leaf and up to three small blue or pale purplish to maroon flowers with a dark purplish blue top of the anther.
Thelymitra granitora, commonly called the coastal granite sun orchid or coastal sun orchid, is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single short, curved and channelled dark green leaf and up to eight relatively large pale blue or white, self-pollinating flowers with white mop-like tufts on the top of the anther.
Thelymitra holmesii, commonly called the blue star sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single long, narrow, fleshy leaf and up to nine purplish blue to mauve flowers with a deeply notched lobe on top of the anther.
Thelymitra peniculata, commonly called the trim sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to southern eastern Australia. It has a single long, erect, fleshy, channelled leaf and up to eighteen deep blue to purple self-pollinating flowers.
Thelymitra reflexa, commonly called the reflexed sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to Victoria. It has a single erect, fleshy, channelled leaf and up to six bluish purple flowers. The sepals and petals are strongly turned back towards the ovary but only on hot days when the flowers open.
Thelymitra viridis, commonly called the green sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to Tasmania. It has a single erect, fleshy, channelled leaf and up to seven small self-pollinating pale blue to pale purplish flowers. The rest of the plant is a pale green colour.
Thelymitra inflata, commonly called the inflated sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south eastern Australia. It has a single long, erect, linear leaf and up to six dark blue to purplish flowers with a very inflated lobe on top of the anther.
Thelymitra epipactoides, commonly called the metallic sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has a single relatively large, leathery leaf and up to twenty large flowers that range in colour from pink to reddish but have a distinctive arrangement of lobes above the anther.
Thelymitra hiemalis, commonly called the winter sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to Victoria. It is a winter flowering orchid with greenish sepals and blue or mauve petals with large, irregular, darker spots.
Thelymitra jonesii, commonly called the skyblue sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to Tasmania. It has a single erect, fleshy, linear, dark green leaf and up to six relatively small light blue to azure blue flowers with darker veins. It is a rare orchid known from only four scattered locations in moist coastal heath.
Thelymitra latiloba, commonly called the wandoo sun orchid or wandoo shirt orchid, is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, fleshy, channelled, dark green leaf and up to twelve blue flowers with darker blue veins and sometimes flushed with mauve. The lobe on top of the anther is wavy.
Thelymitra alpina, commonly known as the mountain sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single dark green leaf with a purplish base and up to twenty, usually blue to purplish flowers. It grows in alpine, subalpine and montane areas of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.
Thelymitra atronitida, commonly called the black-hooded orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single erect, leathery, leaf and up to eight moderately dark blue, self-pollinating flowers that only open on hot days.
Thelymitra colensoi, commonly called Colenso's sun orchid, is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae that is endemic to New Zealand. It has a single fleshy, channelled leaf and up to seven pale blue or mauve to pink flowers. It is similar to T. pauciflora but is smaller and less robust than that species.
Thelymitra glaucophylla is a species of orchid that is endemic to South Australia. It has a single erect, channelled, pale green leaf and up to fifteen pale blue, mauve or white flowers with an inflated, greyish lobe on top of the anther.
Thelymitra merraniae, known as Thelymitra × merraniae by some Australian authorities, and commonly called Merran's sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single tapering, fleshy, channelled, dark green leaf and up to six dark blue to purplish flowers. It is a possibly a natural hybrid but its parentage is uncertain.