Thelymitra pulchella facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Striped sun orchid |
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| Thelymitra pulchella growing near Leith Valley | |
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Thelymitra
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pulchella
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The Thelymitra pulchella, often called the striped sun orchid, is a special type of orchid flower. It belongs to the Orchidaceae family and is found only in New Zealand. This means it is endemic to New Zealand, growing naturally nowhere else in the world.
This orchid has one upright, thick leaf that is shaped like a channel. It can grow up to fourteen blue flowers. These flowers often have darker stripes on their petals and sometimes on their sepals. The central part of the flower, called the column, and its parts can look different from one plant to another.
What the Striped Sun Orchid Looks Like
The Thelymitra pulchella is a plant that grows from a round underground stem, like a small potato. It is a perennial herb, which means it lives for many years and does not have a woody stem. It has a single, upright, thick leaf that is shaped like a channel or trough. This leaf is usually about 8 to 24 centimeters (3 to 9 inches) long and 6 to 20 millimeters (0.2 to 0.8 inches) wide.
The plant can have up to fourteen blue flowers, though sometimes they can be pink or white. Each flower is about 10 to 18 millimeters (0.4 to 0.7 inches) wide. These flowers grow on a stem that can be as tall as 80 centimeters (31 inches). The petals and sometimes the sepals of the flowers have dark blue stripes, which gives the orchid its name.
The column, which is the central part of the flower, can be dark blue, pink, purple, or white. It is usually about 6 to 8 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long. The "arms" on the sides of the column are reddish-brown and sometimes have red or yellow teeth-like shapes. The part on top of the anther (where pollen is made) can be different colors and shapes, often with uneven teeth. You can see these orchids flowering from October to January.
How the Striped Sun Orchid Got Its Name
The Thelymitra pulchella was first officially described in 1853 by a scientist named Joseph Dalton Hooker. He wrote about it in his book Flora Novae-Zelandiae.
The second part of its scientific name, pulchella, comes from a Latin word pulcher, which means "beautiful." The word pulchella is a smaller, more delicate form of "beautiful." Joseph Dalton Hooker himself said this species was "very handsome."
Where the Striped Sun Orchid Lives
The striped sun orchid likes to grow in open areas with shrubs and often in wet places like wetlands. You can find this orchid on the North, South, Stewart, and Chatham Islands of New Zealand.
