Thelymitra mucida

Thelymitra mucida, commonly called the plum sun orchid[2] or plum orchid,[3] is a species of orchid that is endemic to southern Australia. It has a single erect, fleshy, linear leaf and up to six blue, purplish or plum coloured flowers with a thick, sticky secretion on the anther lobe.

Plum sun orchid
Thelymitra mucida in Wandoo National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Thelymitra
Species:
T. mucida
Binomial name
Thelymitra mucida

Description

Thelymitra mucida is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single erect, channelled, fleshy, channelled, dark green, linear leaf 100–300 mm (4–10 in) long and 2–8 mm (0.08–0.3 in) wide with a purplish base. Up to six blue, purplish or plum coloured flowers 14–22 mm (0.6–0.9 in) wide are arranged on a flowering stem 180–550 mm (7–20 in) tall. The sepals and petals are 6–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long and 3–6.5 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide. The column is blue or pinkish, 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and 2.5–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. The lobe on the top of the anther is purplish with a yellow tip, wedge shaped and covered with a thick, sticky secretion. The end of the lobe is deeply notched. The side lobes have shaggy toothbrush-like yellow or cream-coloured tufts on their ends. The flowers are self-pollinated and only open on hot days, and then only slowly. Flowering occurs from August to December.[2][4][5][3][6]

Taxonomy and naming

Thelymitra mucida was first formally described in 1879 by Robert Fitzgerald from a specimen collected near Wilson Inlet and the description was published in The Gardeners' Chronicle.[7][8] The specific epithet (mucida) is a Latin word meaning "slimy".[9]

Distribution and habitat

The plum sun orchid grows in moist places such as swamp margins in heath. It occurs in southern parts of Victoria, South Australia, (including Kangaroo Island) and Western Australia and in Tasmania.[2][4][10][11]

Conservation

Thelymitra mucida is listed as "vulnerable" in Victoria, as "endangered" in South Australia and as "rare" under the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 in Tasmania.[4][10][11]

References
  1. "Thelymitra mucida". 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. 238. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. Brown, Andrew; Dixon, Kingsley; French, Christopher; Brockman, Garry (2013). Field guide to the orchids of Western Australia : the definitive guide to the native orchids of Western Australia. Simon Nevill Publications. p. 444. ISBN 9780980348149.
  4. Jeanes, Jeff. "Thelymitra mucida". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  5. Jeanes, Jeffrey A. (2004). "A revision of the Thelymitra pauciflora R.Br. (Orchidaceae) complex in Australia" (PDF). Muelleria. 19: 67–70. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  6. Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 315. ISBN 9780646562322.
  7. "Thelymitra mucida". APNI. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  8. Fitzgerald, Robert D. (1882). "New Australian orchids". The Gardener's Chronicle. 17: 495. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  9. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 718.
  10. "Threatened species profile - Thelymitra mucida" (PDF). Government on South Australia Department for Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  11. "Tasmanian threatened species listing statement Thelymitra mucida". Tasmanian Government Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
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