Thelymitra orientalis facts for kids

Thelymitra orientalis is a special and rare type of orchid. It belongs to the Orchidaceae family, which is a big group of flowering plants. This orchid only grows naturally in southern Australia, meaning it's endemic there. It has one long, thin leaf that looks like a thread. It also grows a single, beautiful deep blue flower with darker stripes. This orchid looks a bit like another one called T. mucida, but you can tell them apart because Thelymitra orientalis has a thinner leaf and a smaller flower.

What it Looks Like

Thelymitra orientalis is a tuberous plant, which means it has a round, swollen part underground, like a small potato. It's also a perennial herb, so it lives for many years and has soft stems instead of woody ones.

It grows a single leaf that looks like a thin thread or a small cylinder. This leaf is about 50 mm (2 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The bottom part of the leaf is red.

The Flower

This orchid usually grows one deep blue flower on a stem that can be up to 100 mm (4 in) tall. The flower has 6 to 8 darker stripes and can be up to 10 mm (0.4 in) wide.

The flower has parts called sepals and petals, which look like petals. They are about 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide.

Inside the flower, there's a special part called the column. It's a rich purple color, about 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The column holds the parts that help the plant reproduce.

The top part of the anther (where pollen is made) is black with a yellow tip. This tip is split into two parts with wavy edges. The side parts of the column have a few yellow hairs.

When it Flowers

Thelymitra orientalis blooms between late October and early November. Its flowers are a bit shy; they only open up on hot days!

How it Got its Name

The Thelymitra orientalis was officially described in 2010 by a scientist named Robert Bates. He first found a sample of this orchid in 2003 near a place called The Marshes Native Forest Reserve, close to Millicent.

The description of the orchid was published in a science journal called the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden.

Meaning of the Name

The second part of its name, orientalis, is a Latin word. It means "of the east." This name was chosen because this orchid is related to T. mucida, which mostly grows in Western Australia. So, Thelymitra orientalis is the "eastern" relative!

Where it Lives

This special orchid likes to grow in wet, open areas called "damp heath." These are places that get a lot of rain. You can find Thelymitra orientalis in western Victoria and the very southeastern part of South Australia.