Thelymitra latifolia facts for kids

Thelymitra latifolia is a special kind of orchid. It belongs to the Orchidaceae family, which is the orchid family! This plant only grows naturally in South Australia. It has one wide, flat leaf that is dark green and a bit reddish. It can grow up to eight beautiful blue or purple flowers. These flowers are a bit shy, they only open up on warm, humid days.

About This Orchid

Thelymitra latifolia is a type of herb. It grows from a tuber underground, which is like a small, round storage part. Because it's a perennial plant, it lives for more than two years.

This orchid has one strong, leathery leaf. The leaf is dark green with some reddish parts. It is shaped like a spear, about 5 to 10 centimetres (2 to 4 inches) long. It is also about 0.5 to 1.5 centimetres (0.2 to 0.6 inches) wide.

The Flowers

The plant grows a flowering stem that can be 10 to 30 centimetres (4 to 12 inches) tall. On this stem, you can find between two and eight flowers. These flowers can be blue, purple, or even pink. They are about 1.4 to 2 centimetres (0.6 to 0.8 inches) wide.

Each flower has parts called sepals and petals. These are like the outer leaves of the flower. They are about 0.6 to 1 centimetre (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long. They are also about 0.3 to 0.8 centimetres (0.1 to 0.3 inches) wide.

The middle part of the flower is called the column. It is pale pink and about 0.5 to 0.6 centimetres (0.2 inches) long. It is also about 0.3 to 0.4 centimetres (0.1 inches) wide.

On top of the column, there is a tube-shaped part called a lobe. This lobe is mostly yellow and has a yellow tip. The side parts of the column also curve upwards. They have messy tufts of white hairs near their ends.

These special flowers only open when the weather is warm and humid. You can usually see them flowering from mid-September to early November. The ones in the northern parts of South Australia start blooming first.

How It Got Its Name

Discovery and Naming

The Thelymitra latifolia orchid was officially described in 2010. A scientist named Robert Bates was the first to properly describe it. He found a sample of this orchid near a place called Lobethal in 2007.

The description was then published in a science book called Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden.

Meaning of the Name

The second part of its scientific name, latifolia, has a special meaning. It comes from two Latin words:

• latus means "broad" or "wide".
• folia means "leaves".

So, latifolia refers to the wide, flat leaves that this orchid has.

Where It Lives

This sun orchid likes to grow in woodland areas. Sometimes, you can find it near swamps. It lives in different parts of South Australia. You can find it from the southern Flinders Ranges down to the Mount Lofty Ranges. It also grows in the far south-east of South Australia.