Tiger Sun Orchid facts for kids

The Tiger Orchid, also known as the tiger sun orchid, is a special kind of orchid. It grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This unique plant has one thin leaf and can have up to fifteen small yellow flowers. Each flower has tiny brown spots, making it look a bit like a tiger's stripes!

What Does the Tiger Orchid Look Like?

The Tiger Orchid is a plant that grows from a tuber (like a small underground potato). It's a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years. Each plant has one leaf that is about 100 to 150 mm (4 to 6 inches) long and 3 to 4 mm (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide.

The plant produces a flowering stem that can be quite tall, from 150 to 700 mm (6 to 28 inches) high. On this stem, you'll find between two and fifteen cup-shaped flowers. These flowers are yellow with many dark brown spots and are about 10 to 16 mm (0.4 to 0.6 inches) wide.

The parts of the flower that look like petals, called sepals and petals, are about 5 to 8 mm (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and 3 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. The central part of the flower, called the column, is similar in color to the petals. It's about 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 inches) long and 2 mm (0.08 inches) wide. This column has short, white, bumpy parts on its sides. The top part of the anther (where pollen is made) is short and covered with small bumps.

These flowers are special because they can self-pollinate, meaning they don't need insects or wind to help them make seeds. They usually open up on warm, sunny days. You can see the Tiger Orchid flowering from November to January.

How Did It Get Its Name?

The Tiger Orchid was first officially described in 1810 by a botanist named Robert Brown. He wrote about it in a book called Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.

The scientific name for this orchid is Thelymitra tigrina. The word tigrina comes from a Latin word that means "of tigers." This name was chosen because of the dark spots on the flowers, which make them look like a tiger's stripes!

Where Does the Tiger Orchid Live?

The Tiger Orchid grows in thick, bushy areas close to the coast. It prefers places that get wet during the winter. You can find this orchid growing between the cities of Perth and Albany in Western Australia. There's also a separate group of them growing near Esperance.

Is the Tiger Orchid Safe?

Good news! The Tiger Orchid is currently considered "not threatened" in Western Australia. This means that the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife believes there are enough of these orchids in the wild, and they are not in danger of disappearing.