Thelymitra xanthotricha

Thelymitra xanthotricha, commonly called the yellow tufted sun orchid[2] or yellow tufted slender sun orchid,[3] is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, fleshy, channelled, dark green leaf and up to six relatively large dark blue to purplish flowers.

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

Description

Thelymitra xanthotricha is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single erect, fleshy, channelled, dark green, linear to lance-shaped leaf 100–300 mm (4–10 in) long and 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide with a purplish base. Up to six dark blue to purplish flowers, 16–34 mm (0.6–1 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem 300–500 mm (10–20 in) tall. The sepals and petals are 8–17 mm (0.3–0.7 in) long and 3–8 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide. The column is pale blue, 5–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.14 in) wide. The lobe on the top of the anther is dark brown with a yellow tip, tube-shaped and inflated with a notched end. The side lobes curve gently upwards and have toothbrush-like tufts of creamy yellow hairs. The flowers are self-pollinating and open only slowly, even on hot days. Flowering occurs in September and October.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Thelymitra xanthotricha was first formally described in 2004 by Jeff Jeanes and the description was published in Muelleria.[6] According to Jeanes, the specific epithet (xanthotricha) is derived from the Ancient Greek words xanthos meaning "yellow" and trichos meaning "hair", referring to the yellow hairs on the side lobes of the anther.[5] The word for "hair" in Ancient Greek is thrix (θρίξ).[7]

Distribution and habitat

The yellow tufted sun orchid grows with shrubs and sedges and is found between Perth and Brookton and between Esperance and Condingup.[3][4][8]

Conservation

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

References
  1. "Thelymitra xanthotricha". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 317. ISBN 9780646562322.
  3. Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 446. ISBN 9780980296457.
  4. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 237. ISBN 1877069124.
  5. Jeanes, Jeffrey A. (2004). "A revision of the Thelymitra pauciflora R.Br. (Orchidaceae) complex in Australia" (PDF). Muelleria. 19: 75–77. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  6. "Thelymitra xanthotricha". APNI. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  7. Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  8. "Thelymitra xanthotricha". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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