Grasslands sun orchid facts for kids

The grassland sun orchid, also known as Thelymitra basaltica, is a special type of orchid that grows only in Victoria, Australia. It has a single, dark green leaf that feels a bit fleshy. This orchid produces up to eight small, pale blue flowers. What's cool about these flowers is that they pollinate themselves! They also open up slowly, usually only on warm or hot days.

What Does It Look Like?

The grassland sun orchid is a tuberous plant, which means it grows from a round, underground stem, a bit like a potato. It's also a perennial herb, meaning it lives for many years and doesn't have a woody stem. Each plant has one dark green leaf that is usually between 12 and 30 centimeters (about 5 to 12 inches) long and 0.5 to 1.5 centimeters (about 0.2 to 0.6 inches) wide. The base of the leaf is often a bit purplish.

This orchid grows a flowering stem that can be 10 to 30 centimeters (about 4 to 12 inches) tall. Along this stem, you'll find between two and eight pale blue or pale purplish-blue flowers. Each flower is about 1.5 to 2.2 centimeters (about 0.6 to 0.9 inches) wide.

The parts of the flower that look like petals are called sepals and petals. They are usually 6 to 11 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.4 inches) long. The central part of the flower is called the column. It's pale blue and about 4 to 6.5 millimeters (about 0.16 to 0.26 inches) long. The top part of the column, called the anther lobe, is dark purplish or reddish-brown with a yellow tip. It's shaped like a tube and gently curved. The side parts of the column curve upwards and have white hairs that look a bit like a toothbrush! These orchids usually flower in September and October.

How Was It Named?

The grassland sun orchid, Thelymitra basaltica, was officially described in 2004 by a scientist named Jeff Jeanes. He published his description in a scientific journal called Muelleria. The second part of its scientific name, basaltica, tells us something important about where it likes to grow. It refers to "basalt," which is a type of rock. This orchid prefers to grow in soils that come from basalt rock.

Where Does It Live?

The grassland sun orchid usually grows in small groups or clumps. You can find it in the leftover patches of natural grassland, especially where the soil comes from basalt rock. This orchid is quite rare and is only known to grow in a small area near a place called Rokewood in Victoria.