Citation: Cheeseman, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 43:177 ( 1911 ).

Synonymy: T. daltonii R. Rogers, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 54:42 (1930).

Common name: Spiral leaved sun-orchid.

Description:
A slender plant 10-20 cm high; leaf flexuose or spirally twisted round the stem, broadly sheathing, finely and closely puberulent, as is the stem immediately below, lamina 3-6 cm long, linear and very much narrower than the sheath; stem slender, erect, glabrous above the leaf about the middle, with a subulate clasping bract c. 2.5 cm long.

Flower one, seldom two, opening in hot sunny weather, autogamous; ovary slender, c. 1.3 cm long, greenish; perianth-segments alike, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute or shortly acuminate, 8-14 mm long, rich-purple with darker veins; column stout and short, c. 6 mm high, purplish; column-arms broadly elliptical or orbicular, planoconvex, erect behind the anther, yellow; post-anther lobe much shorter and rudimentary, not crested, margin crowned with grape-like papillae; anther yellow, largely exposed; incumbent, connective prolonged into a cucullate anther point, exceeding the column-arms; stigma prominent, situated just below the anther, orbicular or transversely oval, almost pedicellate, concave, disc-like.

Published illustration: Gray (1971) Victorian native orchids 2:39; Hoffman & Brown (1984) Orchids of south-west Australia, p. 34.

Distribution:  Occurs singly or in small numbers on limestone or in calcareous sands in mallee heathland but restricted and rare. S.Aust.: SL, KI, SE.   W.Aust.; Vic.   New Zealand. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Aug. — Sept.

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

Biology: T. matthewsii is very similar to T. spiralis (Lindley) F. Muell. from W.Aust. and may prove to be a geographical variant.

Author: Not yet available