Thelymitra cucullata

Thelymitra cucullata, commonly called the swamp sun orchid,[2] is a species of orchid that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single narrow leaf and up to ten small, greenish cream-coloured to white flowers with purple blotches and which quickly droop after they have been fertilised.

Swamp sun orchid
Thelymitra cucullata in the Coolinup Nature Reserve near Condingup
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Thelymitra
Species:
T. cucullata
Binomial name
Thelymitra cucullata

Description

Thelymitra cucullata is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single leaf 100–180 mm (4–7 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. Between two and ten greenish cream-coloured to white flowers with purple blotches, 12–18 mm (0.5–0.7 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem 200–450 mm (8–20 in) tall. The sepals and petals are 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and 3.5–4.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. The dorsal (top) sepal is wider and the labellum (the lowest petal) is narrower than the other sepals and petals. The column is a similar colour to the sepals and petals but with rows of purple spots. It is 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide and has short, yellow-tipped arms on the sides. The flowers are self-pollinated, short-lived, open on sunny days and quickly droop after they have been fertilised. Flowering occurs in October and November.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Thelymitra cucullata was first formally described in 1946 by Herman Rupp from a specimen collected in the Stirling Range and the description was published in Australian Orchid Review.[6] The specific epithet (cucullata) is a Latin word meaning "hooded",[7] referring to the dorsal sepal which forms a hood over the column.[3]

Distribution and habitat

The swamp sun orchid grows in winter-wet areas, around the edges of swamps and in shallow soil on granite outcrops. It is found between Perth and Israelite Bay.[2][3][4][8]

Conservation

Thelymitra cucullata is classified as "not threatened" in Western Australia by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[8]

References
  1. "Thelymitra cucullata". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 256. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 448–449. ISBN 9780980296457.
  4. Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 298. ISBN 9780646562322.
  5. Archer, William. "Swamp sun orchid - Thelymitra cucullata". Esperance Wildflowers. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  6. "Thelymitra cucullata". APNI. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 241.
  8. "Thelymitra cucullata". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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