Mauve-tufted sun orchid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mauve-tufted sun orchid
Thelymitra malvina on Wilsons Promontory
Scientific classification
Genus:	Thelymitra
Species:	malvina

The mauve-tufted sun orchid (Thelymitra malvina) is a special kind of orchid. It gets its name from the pretty mauve (purple-pink) tufts on its flowers. This orchid grows naturally in eastern Australia and New Zealand. It has one large, thick leaf and can have up to twenty-five blue or mauve flowers. These flowers have unique pink or mauve tufts on top of a part called the anther.

What the Mauve-Tufted Sun Orchid Looks Like

The mauve-tufted sun orchid is a tuberous plant. This means it grows from a round, underground storage part, like a potato. It's also a herb, which means it has soft stems, not woody ones like a tree. It lives for many years.

Each orchid has one strong, thick leaf. This leaf is dark green and shaped like a long, narrow spear. It can be about 100–350 mm (4–10 in) long and 5–20 mm (0.2–0.8 in) wide. The bottom part of the leaf is often purplish.

The flowers grow on a tall stem, which can be 250–750 mm (10–30 in) high. You can find anywhere from three to twenty-five blue or mauve flowers on one stem. Each flower is about 18–32 mm (0.7–1 in) wide. There are usually three small leaf-like parts called bracts along the stem.

The flower has parts called sepals and petals, which look like petals. They are about 8–20 mm (0.3–0.8 in) long and 3–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide. Inside the flower, there's a central part called the column. It's white to blue and about 6–7.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long.

A special part on top of the anther is dark reddish-brown with a yellow tip. It's shaped like a tube. On the sides of the column, there are "side lobes" that point forward. These lobes have the famous pink or mauve tufts, which look like little mops!

These orchids have a nice smell. Insects help them reproduce by carrying pollen from one flower to another. The flowers only open on hot, sunny days. You can usually see them flowering from November to January.

How the Orchid Got its Name

The mauve-tufted sun orchid was officially named Thelymitra malvina in 1989. Two botanists, David Jones and Brian Molloy, first described it. They found a sample of the orchid near a place called Dartmoor in Australia.

The second part of its scientific name, malvina, comes from the word "mauve." This refers to the pretty mauve-colored hair-like tufts on the flowers.

Where the Orchid Lives

In Australia, the mauve-tufted sun orchid likes to grow in forests, woodlands, and open, shrubby areas called heathlands. You can find it in Queensland, especially south from Mount Moffatt in Carnarvon National Park. It also grows along the coasts of New South Wales and southern Victoria. In Tasmania, it's found on the north and east coasts, as well as on King Island and Flinders Island.

In New Zealand, this orchid only grows in the northern parts of the North Island. It prefers wet areas, like wetlands. Often, you can spot it growing on rotting logs of kauri trees.