Broad sun orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Broad sun orchid |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Thelymitra
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| Species: |
imbricata
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The Broad Sun Orchid (its scientific name is Thelymitra imbricata) is a special type of orchid. It only grows in Tasmania, which means it's endemic there. This beautiful plant has one tall, grooved leaf. It also grows many flowers, usually between three and fifteen. These flowers can be light blue, dark blue, or even purplish-blue. They are quite large and pretty!
What it Looks Like
The Broad Sun Orchid grows from a tuber, which is like a small underground storage part. It's a perennial herb, meaning it's a plant that lives for more than two years and has soft stems.
It has one leaf that stands straight up. This leaf is thick, light green, and has a groove down the middle. It can be about 200 to 300 mm (8 to 12 inches) long and 20 to 30 mm (0.8 to 1.2 inches) wide. The bottom part of the leaf is often purplish.
The plant grows a flowering stem that can be 150 to 600 mm (6 to 24 inches) tall. On this stem, you'll find between three and fifteen (or even more!) flowers. Each flower is about 25 to 35 mm (1 to 1.4 inches) wide. They can be pale blue, dark blue, or even purplish-blue.
The flower parts called sepals and petals are about 12 to 20 mm (0.5 to 0.8 inches) long and 5 to 10 mm (0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide. The central part of the flower, called the column, is white, bluish, or pinkish. It's about 5 to 7 mm (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long.
At the top of the column, there's a small part called the anther lobe. It's about 3 mm (0.1 inches) long and 2 mm (0.08 inches) wide. This part is usually brown or orange-brown with a thin blue band. It has a gentle curve and a V-shaped notch. The side parts of the column look like fingers and have thick, white hairs that look like a toothbrush!
These orchids usually bloom from late October to early December. Their flowers last a long time and are pollinated by insects. They open up on warm, sunny days.
How it Got its Name
The Broad Sun Orchid was officially described in 1998 by a botanist named David Jones. The description was published in a book called Australian Orchid Research.
The scientific name, imbricata, comes from a Latin word. It means "overlapping like roofing-tiles or shingles." This might describe how some parts of the plant overlap.
Where it Lives
You can usually find the Broad Sun Orchid growing in different places in the midlands region of Tasmania. It likes areas like open forests, scrubland, grasslands, and heathlands.
