Thelymitra glaucophylla facts for kids

Thelymitra glaucophylla is a special type of orchid that only grows in South Australia. This means it's found nowhere else in the world! It has a single, tall, pale green leaf that looks like it has a channel down the middle. Its flowers are usually pale blue, purple, or white. They have a cool, puffy, grayish part on top of the anther, which is part of the flower's reproductive system.

What Does This Orchid Look Like?

Thelymitra glaucophylla is a plant that grows from a tuber (like a small underground potato). It's a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years and has soft stems, not woody ones.

It grows one tall, thick leaf that is shaped like a line or a spear. This leaf is about 100 to 500 millimeters (4 to 20 inches) long and 8 to 20 millimeters (0.3 to 0.8 inches) wide. It's also glaucous, which means it has a dull, bluish-green color, like it's covered in a light powder.

The plant produces three to fifteen flowers on a stem that can be 250 to 800 millimeters (10 to 31 inches) tall. These flowers are usually pale blue, purple, or white and have a strong scent. Each flower is about 30 to 50 millimeters (1.2 to 2 inches) wide.

The sepals and petals (which look like the flower's "petals") are about 15 to 25 millimeters (0.6 to 1 inch) long and 4 to 13 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) wide. The central part of the flower, called the column, is similar in color to the petals. It is about 5.5 to 7.5 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long.

A special part on top of the anther (where pollen is made) is grayish-brown with a yellow tip. It looks like a puffy tube and has two small bumps at its end. The side parts of the column have white or creamy yellow hairs that look like tiny toothbrushes. This orchid usually blooms from October to December.

How This Orchid Got Its Name

The Thelymitra glaucophylla was officially named in 2013 by a scientist named Jeff Jeanes. He used an earlier description from another scientist, Robert Bates. The official description was published in a science journal called Muelleria. The plant used for this description was found near Sevenhill.

The second part of its name, glaucophylla, comes from old Greek words. "Glauco" means "bluish-gray," and "phylla" means "leaf." So, the name describes the plant's large, bluish-gray leaves.

Where This Orchid Lives

This sun orchid mostly grows in open forests, woodlands, and grassy areas. It often likes to grow in hilly places. You can find it quite commonly in the southeastern part of South Australia.