Citation: Fitzg., Gdnrs' Chron. n.s. 17:495 (1882)

Synonymy: T. carnea R. Br. var. rubra (Fitzg.) J. Weber & Bates in J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 455 (1978); T. carnea sensu R. Rogers in J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 121 (1922), non R. Br. , Thelymitra elizabethae, Thelymitra rubra, Thelymitra urnalis

Common name: Common pink sun-orchid, salmon sunorchid.

Description:
A slender plant 15-50 cm high; stem somewhat flexuose, reddish; stem bracts 2 or 3, the lower one c. 7 cm long, subulate, closely sheathing; leaf terete or linear, channelled, 12-20 cm long, purplish at the base.

Flowers 1-4, on long slender pedicels, crimson, salmon or pale-pink, rarely pale-yellow, freely expanding in warm sunshine; ovary c. 15 mm long, slender at first; sepals and petals ovate to elliptical, obtuse, 7-12 mm long; column c. 5 mm long, not hooded, brightly coloured, usually pinkish; apex orange-yellow; post-anther lobe shortly truncate, the upper margins denticulate; lateral lobes yellow or orange, oblong, more or less erect, almost as wide as long, rugulose, the margins denticulate, anther-point stout, prominent, obtuse, the base hidden behind the upper edge of the stigma, pollinia powdery, pale, usually collapsing onto the stigma.

Published illustration: Cady & Rotherham (1970)Australian native orchids in colour, pl. 23; Pocock (1972) Ground orchids of Australia, pl. 147; Gentry & Foreman (1979) Native orchids of South Australia, unnumbered plate as T. carnea var. rubra.

Distribution:  Occurs singly or in clumps, usually in small numbers in well forested areas and locally common in areas receiving greater than 600 mm mean annual rainfall. S.Aust.: FR, EP, NL, MU, SL, SE.   N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Sept. — Nov.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: Very similar to T. carnea which is smaller and has longer, narrower column-arms and is less common. Putative hybrids have been reported with T. antennifera, T. flexuosa and T. ixioides. (See T. x irregularis.)

Author: Not yet available