Chestnut sun orchid facts for kids

The Chestnut sun orchid, known scientifically as Thelymitra fuscolutea, is a special type of orchid flower. It belongs to the Orchidaceae family. This beautiful plant is found only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It has a single, tall, flat, and tough leaf. Its flowers are yellowish-green with cool reddish-brown stripes and spots. The central part of the flower, called the column, has wide, fringed, cream or whitish parts.

What Does It Look Like?

The Chestnut sun orchid is a tuberous plant. This means it grows from a round, underground storage part, a bit like a potato. It is also a perennial herb, so it lives for more than two years and has soft stems, not woody ones.

Each plant has one tall, flat, and tough leaf. This leaf is shaped like a spear or an egg. It can be about 50–150 mm (2–6 in) long and 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) wide.

The plant produces between two and fifteen or more flowers. These flowers are yellowish-green with reddish-brown streaks and blotches. They are about 25–35 mm (0.98–1.4 in) wide. The flowers grow on a stem that can be 200–300 mm (8–10 in) tall.

The sepals and petals of the flower are about 12–16 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. The column is the central part of the flower. It is greenish near its base and then turns cream or whitish. It is about 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide. It has wide, fringed parts that look like wings. The top part of the anther (which holds pollen) has a club-like shape.

These orchids are pollinated by insects. Their flowers usually open up on sunny days. You can see them flowering from November to January.

How It Got Its Name

The Chestnut sun orchid was first officially described in 1810. This was done by a famous botanist named Robert Brown. He published his description in a book called Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.

The second part of its scientific name, fuscolutea, comes from two Latin words. Fuscus means "dark" or "dusky," and lutea means "yellow." These words describe the yellowish and dark reddish-brown colors of the flowers.

Where It Lives

The Chestnut sun orchid grows in a few different places. You can find it in areas with heath (low-growing shrubs), in forests, and along the edges of swamps that are wet during winter. It grows in Western Australia, in the area between the city of Perth and the Cape Arid National Park.

Is It Endangered?

Good news! The Thelymitra fuscolutea is currently classified as "not threatened." This means it is not considered to be in danger of disappearing. This classification is given by the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife.