Thelymitra yorkensis

Thelymitra yorkensis, commonly called the York sun orchid[2] or bronze sun orchid,[3] is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, flat, leathery leaf and up to twelve crowded, cinnamon scented, orange-coloured flowers with reddish brown edges. The column has broad, deeply fringed, orange wings.

York sun orchid
Thelymitra yorkensis in Wandoo National Park

Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Thelymitra
Species:
T. yorkensis
Binomial name
Thelymitra yorkensis
Jeanes[1]

Description

Thelymitra yorkensis is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single erect, flat, leathery, lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaf 50–140 mm (2–6 in) long and 20–40 mm (0.8–2 in) wide. Between two and twelve cinnamon scented, orange-coloured flowers with reddish brown edges, 30–40 mm (1–2 in) wide are crowded on a flowering stem 200–350 mm (8–10 in) tall. The sepals and petals are 12–20 mm (0.5–0.8 in) long and 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. The labellum (the lowest petal) is narrower than the other petals and sepals. The column is yellowish near its base, orange towards the tip, 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long, 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) wide and has broadly spreading wings with toothed edges. The lobe on the top of the anther has a dense mas of short hairs on its back and a club-like appendage on its top. The flowers are insect pollinated and open on sunny days. Flowering occurs in November and December.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Thelymitra yorkensis was first formally described in 2006 by Jeff Jeanes from a specimen collected near York and the description was published in Muelleria.[6][5] The specific epithet (yorkensis) refers to the town near where all known populations occur.

Distribution and habitat

The York sun orchid grows with Eucalyptus wandoo and Eucalyptus accedens trees near York in the Jarrah Forest biogeographic region.[2][3][7]

Conservation

Thelymitra yorkensis is classified as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife[7] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.[8]

References
  1. "Thelymitra yorkensis". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 421. ISBN 9780980296457.
  3. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 253. ISBN 1877069124.
  4. Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 294. ISBN 9780646562322.
  5. Jeanes, Jeffrey (2006). "Resolution of the Thelymitra fuscolutea R. Br. (Orchidaceae) complex of southern Australia" (PDF). Muelleria. 24: 18–19. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  6. "Thelymitra yorkensis". APNI. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  7. "Thelymitra magnifica". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  8. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
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