Thelymitra fuscolutea

Thelymitra fuscolutea, commonly called the chestnut sun orchid,[2] is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, flat, leathery leaf and up to fifteen or more yellowish green flowers with reddish brown streaks and blotches. The column has broad, deeply fringed cream or whitish wings.

Chestnut sun orchid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Thelymitra
Species:
T. fuscolutea
Binomial name
Thelymitra fuscolutea

Description

Thelymitra fuscolutea is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single erect, flat, leathery, lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaf 50–150 mm (2–6 in) long and 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) wide. Between two and fifteen or more yellowish green flowers with reddish brown streaks and blotches, 25–35 mm (0.98–1.4 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem 200–300 mm (8–10 in) tall. The sepals and petals are 12–16 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. The column is greenish near its base then cream or whitish, 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide and has widely fringed wings. The lobe on the top of the anther has a club-like lobe on its top. The flowers are insect pollinated and open on sunny days. Flowering occurs from November to January.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Thelymitra fuscolutea was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.[6][7] The specific epithet (fuscolutea) is derived from the Latin words fuscus meaning "dark" or "dusky"[8]:149 and lutea meaning "yellow"[8]:872 referring to the colour of the flowers.[3]

Distribution and habitat

The chestnut sun orchid grows in heath, forest and on the edges of winter-wet swamps. It occurs between Perth and the Cape Arid National Park.[2][3][9]

Conservation

Thelymitra fuscolutea is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[9]

References
  1. "Thelymitra fuscolutea". 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. pp. 251–252. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 419. ISBN 9780980296457.
  4. Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 287. ISBN 9780646562322.
  5. Jeanes, Jeffrey (2006). "Resolution of the Thelymitra fuscolutea R. Br. (Orchidaceae) complex of southern Australia" (PDF). Muelleria. 24: 11–13. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  6. "Thelymitra fuscolutea". APNI. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  7. Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae. London. p. 315. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  8. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  9. "Thelymitra fuscolutea". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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