Thelymitra nervosa

Thelymitra nervosa, commonly called the spotted sun orchid,[2] is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae that is endemic to New Zealand. It has a single broad, channelled leaf and up to ten blue flowers with darker spots.

Spotted sun orchid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Thelymitra
Species:
T. nervosa
Binomial name
Thelymitra nervosa
Synonyms[1]

Description

Thelymitra nervosa is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single channelled leaf 60–200 mm (2–8 in) or more long and 8–20 mm (0.3–0.8 in) wide. Up to ten pale to dark blue, mauve, sometimes pink or white flowers usually with dark blue spots, up to 18 mm (0.7 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem sometimes up to 600 mm (20 in) tall. The column is pale pink at its base, dark purple near the top and 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. The arms on the sides of the column have dense tufts of white hairs. The lobe on top of the anther is dark purple, curves forwards and has a yellow, horseshoe shaped top. Flowering occurs from October to February.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Thelymitra nervosa was first formally described in 1887 by William Colenso from a plant collected near Mount Ruapehu, and the description was published in 1888 in Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute.[1][4] The specific epithet (nervosa) is a Latin word meaning "sinewy".[5] Colenso noted that the bracts, sepals and petals of this species are "much veined".[4]

Distribution and habitat

The spotted sun orchid grows in sunny places in forest, scrub and grassland. It is found on the North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.[2][3]

References
  1. "Thelymitra nervosa". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. de Lange, Peter J. "Thelymitra nervosa". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  3. "Thelymitra nervosa". New Zealand Native Orchid Group. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  4. Colenso, William (1887). "On new phaemogamic plants". 20: 207–208. Retrieved 22 June 2018. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 555.
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