Plum sun orchid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Plum sun orchid
Thelymitra mucida in Wandoo National Park
Scientific classification
Genus:	Thelymitra
Species:	mucida

The Plum Sun Orchid (Thelymitra mucida) is a special type of orchid that grows only in southern Australia. It gets its name because its flowers can be a beautiful plum color! This orchid has a single, tall, green leaf and can grow up to six flowers. These flowers have a unique, sticky part on them called an anther lobe.

What the Plum Sun Orchid Looks Like

The Plum Sun Orchid is a plant that grows from a tuber (like a small underground potato). It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It has one straight, dark green leaf that can be about 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches) long. The leaf is thick and has a purplish base.

This orchid can have up to six flowers on a stem that grows 18 to 55 centimeters (7 to 22 inches) tall. The flowers are usually blue, purplish, or plum-colored and are about 1.4 to 2.2 centimeters (0.6 to 0.9 inches) wide.

The flower parts called sepals and petals are about 6 to 12 millimeters long. The central part of the flower, called the column, is blue or pinkish. It is about 4 to 6 millimeters long.

A special part on top of the anther lobe is purplish with a yellow tip. It's shaped like a wedge and covered in a thick, sticky goo! The very end of this part is deeply notched. The side parts of the column have fuzzy, yellow or cream-colored tufts that look like tiny toothbrushes.

These orchids often self-pollinate, meaning they can pollinate themselves. Their flowers only open slowly on very hot days. You can see them flowering from August to December.

How the Plum Sun Orchid Got Its Name

The Plum Sun Orchid was first officially described in 1879. A scientist named Robert Fitzgerald found a sample near Wilson Inlet. He wrote about it in a gardening magazine called The Gardeners' Chronicle.

The scientific name mucida comes from a Latin word. It means "slimy," which refers to the sticky part on the flower's anther lobe!

Where the Plum Sun Orchid Lives

The Plum Sun Orchid likes to grow in wet places. You can often find it in swamps or wet areas within heathlands.

It grows in the southern parts of several Australian states:

• Victoria
• South Australia (including Kangaroo Island)
• Western Australia
• Tasmania

Protecting the Plum Sun Orchid

Sadly, the Plum Sun Orchid needs our help to survive. It is listed as:

• "Vulnerable" in Victoria. This means it could become endangered if we don't protect it.
• "Endangered" in South Australia. This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever.
• "Rare" in Tasmania under the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. This means there are not many of them left.

It's important to protect these beautiful orchids so they can continue to grow in Australia for many years to come.