Truncate sun orchid facts for kids

The truncate sun orchid (scientific name: Thelymitra × truncata) is a special type of orchid. It grows only in south-eastern Australia. This orchid has one long, flat leaf that is reddish at its base. It can grow up to six flowers that are blue, pink, or white. Each flower has a unique tube-shaped part on top of its anther. This orchid is a natural hybrid, meaning it formed from two different orchid species, like T. pauciflora and T. ixioides.

What Does the Truncate Sun Orchid Look Like?

The truncate sun orchid is a tuberous plant. This means it grows from an underground storage part (a tuber) and lives for more than two years. It is also a herb, so it does not have a woody stem.

Each plant has one leaf that is usually flat or slightly grooved. This leaf is long and narrow, like a spear. It can be from 80 to 300 mm (about 3 to 12 inches) long and 2 to 8 mm (about 0.08 to 0.3 inches) wide. The bottom part of the leaf is often reddish.

The orchid's flowers grow on a stem that can be 70 to 550 mm (about 3 to 22 inches) tall. There can be up to six or more flowers on one stem. These flowers are usually pale to deep blue, pink, or sometimes white. Each flower is about 20 to 25 mm (about 0.8 to 1 inch) wide.

Along the flowering stem, there are one or two small leaf-like parts called bracts. The main parts of the flower, called sepals and petals, are 6 to 18 mm (about 0.2 to 0.7 inches) long.

The central part of the flower, called the column, is usually the same color as the petals. It is about 3 to 5 mm (about 0.1 to 0.2 inches) long. On top of the anther (which holds pollen), there is a tube-shaped part with a dark ring and a yellow tip. The side parts of the column have white, mop-like hairs at their ends.

These orchids usually bloom from October to December. Because they are hybrids, the plants can look a bit different from each other. This is due to the mixing of genes from their parent species.

How the Truncate Sun Orchid Got Its Name

The scientific name Thelymitra × truncata was first officially given in 1917. A scientist named Richard Sanders Rogers described it. He found a sample of the orchid near Myponga. His description was published in a science journal called Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia.

The second part of the name, x truncata, comes from a Latin word. "Truncata" means "to cut off" or "to shorten by cutting." This name refers to the shape of the middle part on top of the column in the flower. It looks like it has been cut short.

Where the Truncate Sun Orchid Lives

The truncate sun orchid is found in many places, but it is not very common. It grows in different types of environments. You can find it in open areas with low shrubs (called heath), in woodlands (areas with trees that are not too dense), and in open forests.

This orchid lives in several parts of Australia. It is found in southern New South Wales, most of Victoria, south-eastern South Australia, and in Tasmania.