Globe-hood sun orchid facts for kids

The globe-hood sun orchid is a special type of orchid. Its scientific name is Thelymitra × chasmogama. This orchid is found only in south-eastern Australia. When a plant or animal is found only in one place, we say it is endemic to that area.

This orchid has one long, thin leaf that looks like a channel. The bottom of the leaf is reddish. It can grow up to six bright pink flowers. These flowers have small, pale yellow tufts on top of a part called the anther. The globe-hood sun orchid is a natural hybrid. This means it grew from two different parent orchid species: T. luteocilium and T. megacalyptra.

What the Globe-Hood Sun Orchid Looks Like

The globe-hood sun orchid is a tuberous plant. This means it has a special underground stem called a tuber. It is also a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years and its stems are not woody.

• Leaves: Each plant has one leaf. This leaf is long and thin, like a channel. It can be about 13 to 27 centimeters (5 to 11 inches) long. It is usually 3 to 7 millimeters (0.1 to 0.3 inches) wide. The base of the leaf is often reddish.

• Flowers: The plant can have up to six bright pink flowers. Each flower is about 2 to 2.5 centimeters (0.8 to 1 inch) wide. These flowers grow on a stem that can be 15 to 30 centimeters (6 to 12 inches) tall. There are two small leaf-like parts called bracts along the flowering stem.

• Flower Parts: The sepals and petals of the flower are about 7 to 15 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long. The central part of the flower, called the column, is a pretty mauve-pink color. It is about 4 to 6.5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.26 inches) long.

• Special Features: The top part of the anther has a purplish-brown band. It also has a yellow tip that is deeply notched, like it has a V-shape cut into it. The side parts of the column have pale yellow hair-like tufts at their ends.

• Flowering Time: You can see these beautiful orchids flowering from September to November.

• Variations: Because this orchid is a hybrid, its appearance can change a bit. This happens when it crosses back with its parent species, T. luteocilium and T. megacalyptra.

How the Globe-Hood Sun Orchid Got Its Name

The globe-hood sun orchid was first officially described in 1927. A scientist named Richard Sanders Rogers gave it its formal scientific name. He found a sample of the plant near a place called Golden Grove, South Australia. The description was then published in a scientific book called Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia.

Where the Globe-Hood Sun Orchid Lives

You can find the globe-hood sun orchid growing in places where its two parent species also live. These areas include woodlands, open forests, and scrublands. It grows in central Victoria and in the south-east part of South Australia.