Salmon sun orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Salmon sun orchid |
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| Thelymitra rubra flower | |
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Thelymitra
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| Species: |
rubra
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The Salmon Sun Orchid (scientific name: Thelymitra rubra) is a beautiful type of orchid that grows only in southeastern Australia. It's also known as the Pink Sun Orchid. This special plant has one thin leaf that looks a bit like grass. It can grow up to five salmon pink flowers. These flowers have unique parts called "arms" on their central column, which are wide and have a jagged, tooth-like edge. The Salmon Sun Orchid looks a lot like another orchid called T. carnea, but its flowers are bigger, and the column arms have a different shape.
What the Salmon Sun Orchid Looks Like
The Salmon Sun Orchid is a plant that grows from a tuber (a kind of underground stem, like a potato). It's a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years and doesn't have a woody stem.
It has one thin leaf that can be green or purplish. This leaf is about 80 to 200 millimeters (3 to 8 inches) long and 3 to 5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide.
The plant can have up to five salmon pink flowers. Each flower is about 20 to 25 millimeters (0.8 to 1 inch) wide. These flowers grow on a thin, strong stem that is 200 to 400 millimeters (8 to 16 inches) tall. Sometimes, the flowers can be other shades of pink, or even very pale pink or cream.
The outer parts of the flower, called sepals and petals, are 8 to 12 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long and 4 to 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) wide. The central part of the flower, called the column, is cream to pinkish. It has a black, red, or orange band near the top. This column is about 4 to 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) long and 2.5 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide.
The top part of the anther (which holds the pollen) is short and brownish with a jagged tip. The side arms of the column are wide and yellow, with edges that look like fingers. These flowers usually open on sunny days. Sometimes, they can even self-pollinate, meaning they can make seeds without needing pollen from another plant. You can see these orchids flowering from September to November.
How it Got its Name
The Salmon Sun Orchid was first officially described in 1882 by a person named Robert D. FitzGerald. He published his description in a magazine called The Gardeners' Chronicle.
The scientific name, Thelymitra rubra, has a special meaning. The word rubra comes from Latin and means "red." This refers to the beautiful pink or salmon color of its flowers.
Where it Lives
The Salmon Sun Orchid grows in different places like forests, heathlands (areas with small shrubs), and coastal scrub (bushes near the sea).
You can find this orchid in southern New South Wales, southeastern South Australia, and in Tasmania. It is very common and widespread in most parts of Victoria, except for the northwest. Orchids found in Tasmania often have a few hair-like strands on the sides of their column.
See also
In Spanish: Thelymitra rubra para niños
