Thelymitra spadicea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Browntop sun orchid | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Thelymitra |
| Species: | T. spadicea |
| Binomial name | |
| Thelymitra spadicea | |
Thelymitra spadicea, commonly called the browntop sun orchid,[2] is a species of orchid that is endemic to Tasmania. It has a single erect, fleshy leaf and up to four relatively small blue flowers with small darker spots and an elongated lobe on top of the anther.
Thelymitra spadicea is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single erect, fleshy, channelled, linear leaf 100–220 mm (4–9 in) long and 4–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide with a reddish base. Up to four blue flowers with small darker spots, 16–22 mm (0.6–0.9 in) wide are arranged on a flowering stem 100–250 mm (4–10 in) tall. The sepals and petals are 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide. The column is bluish white, about 4 mm (0.2 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The lobe on the top of the anther is brown with a blue band, a yellow elongated tip and small teeth. The side lobes have dense, mop-like tufts of white hairs. Flowering occurs in November and December.[2][3]
Taxonomy and naming
Thelymitra spadicea was first formally described in 1999 by David Jones from a specimen collected near Stanley and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research.[4] The specific epithet (spadicea) is a Latin word meaning “of a light brown colour",[5] referring to the colour of the anther lobe.[3]
