Thelymitra gregaria

Thelymitra gregaria, commonly called the clumping sun orchid,[2] is a species of orchid that is endemic to Victoria. It has a single fleshy, channelled leaf and up to six strongly scented, dark blue to purple flowers and often grows in clumps.

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

Description

Thelymitra gregaria is a tuberous, perennial herb with a fleshy, channelled, dark green to yellowish, linear to lance-shaped leaf 70–100 mm (3–4 in) long and 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) wide with a purplish base. Up to six dark violet blue to purple flowers 22–40 mm (0.9–2 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem 100–200 mm (4–8 in) tall. The sepals and petals are 15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) long and 5–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. The column is pink, blue or purplish, 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) long and about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide. The lobe on the top of the anther is yellow with a dark brown or blackish band and a shallow notch. The side lobes are curved with mop-like tufts of white hairs. The flowers are strongly scented and open widely in warm to hot weather. Flowering occurs from September to November.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Thelymitra gregaria was first formally described in 1988 by David Jones and Mark Clements from a specimen collected near Derrinallum and the description was published in The Orchadian.[5] The specific epithet (gregaria) is a Latin word meaning "pertaining to a flock or herd" or common".[6]

Distribution and habitat

The clumping sun orchid grows in tussock grassland in southern Victoria.[2][3][7]

Conservation

Thelymitra gregaria is listed as "threatened" under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. The main threats to the species are weed invasion, inappropriate fire regimes and site disturbance. No population of this orchid is in a conservation reserve.[7]

References
  1. "Thelymitra gregaria". 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. 230. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. Jeanes, Jeff. "Thelymitra gregaria". Royal BotanicGardens Victoria. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  4. Duncan, Mike; Coates, Fiona. "Draft national recovery plan for twenty on threatened orchids in south-eastern Australia" (PDF). Government of South Australia Department for Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  5. "Thelymitra gregaria". APNI. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  6. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 383.
  7. "Action statement - basalt sun orchid Thelymitra gregaria" (PDF). The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
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