Family: Orchidaceae
Thelymitra mucida
Citation:
Fitzg., Gdnrs' Chron. n.s. 17:495 (1882).
Synonymy: Not Applicable Common name: Plum orchid.
Description:
A slender species 20-50 cm high; leaf linear, thick, channelled, 8-15 cm long.
Flowers 1-3 (rarely to 5), blue inside, grey outside; perianth-segments oblonglanceolate, acute, 8-10 mm long, sepals sometimes darker; column rather stout, hooded, c. 3 mm long; post-anther lobe deeply and acutely emarginate, with entire margins, basally very deeply coloured, the apices yellow, covered with a hoary thickly viscid secretion (resembling mould) which easily rubs off, leaving the dark under-colour apparent; column-arms produced horizontally, the yellow hairs perpendicular, and red at the base (sometimes the hairs white); anther more blunt than acute; situated behind and above the stigma; basal portion concealed; stigma prominent, discoid, wide-ovate, situated in the lower part.
Published illustration:
Hoffman & Brown (1984) Orchids of south-west Australia, p. 48.
Distribution:
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Occurs singly or in small numbers in heavy clay soils, or in swamps or waterholes in areas receiving greater than 750 mm mean annual rainfall, sometimes flowering while the leaves are still partly submerged.
W.Aust.; Vic.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: Sept. — Dec.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
A putative hybrid has been reported with T. nuda (SL).
Author:
Not yet available
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