Browntop sun orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Browntop sun orchid |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Thelymitra
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| Species: |
spadicea
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The browntop sun orchid (scientific name: Thelymitra spadicea) is a special type of orchid that only grows in Tasmania, Australia. It's known for its pretty blue flowers with small dark spots. This orchid has a single, upright leaf and a unique brown tip on its flower's central part.
What Does It Look Like?
The browntop sun orchid is a plant that grows from a tuber (like a small underground storage part, similar to a potato). It's a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years. It has one upright, thick leaf that is about 10 to 22 centimetres (4 to 9 inches) long and 4 to 8 millimetres (0.16 to 0.31 inches) wide. The base of the leaf is often reddish.
This orchid can have up to four blue flowers, each with small darker spots. The flowers are about 16 to 22 millimetres (0.63 to 0.87 inches) wide. They grow on a flowering stem that can be 10 to 25 centimetres (4 to 10 inches) tall. The outer parts of the flower, called sepals and petals, are about 7 to 11 millimetres (0.28 to 0.43 inches) long.
The central part of the flower, called the column, is bluish-white. It's about 4 millimetres (0.16 inches) long. The top part of the anther (where pollen is made) has a brown lobe with a blue band and a yellow tip. It also has tiny teeth. The side parts of the column have fluffy, white hairs. You can usually see these orchids flowering in November and December.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The browntop sun orchid was first officially described in 1999 by a botanist named David Jones. He found a specimen (a sample of the plant) near a place called Stanley in Tasmania.
The scientific name spadicea comes from a Latin word that means "of a light brown colour." This name was chosen because of the brown colour of the anther lobe, which is the tip of the flower's central part.
Where Does It Grow?
The browntop sun orchid lives in coastal areas and places close to the coast in northern and western Tasmania. It likes to grow in a type of plant community called heath, which is an open area with small shrubs.
