''Thelymitra cyanapicata'', commonly called the dark-tipped sun orchid,
is a species of
orchid that is
endemic to
South Australia. It has a single fleshy, linear, channelled leaf and up to three small blue or pale purplish to maroon flowers with a dark purplish blue top of the
anther
The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10
Morphology and terminology
A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...
.
Description
''Thelymitra cyanapicata'' is a
tuberous,
perennial herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
with a single erect, fleshy, channelled, linear leaf long and wide with a purplish base. Up to three blue or pale purplish to maroon flowers wide are arranged on a flowering stem tall. The
sepals and
petal
Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...
s are long and wide. The
column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
is blue, long and wide. The lobe on the top of the anther is dark purplish blue, gently curved and the side lobes have almost spherical tufts of white hairs. Flowering occurs in October and November but the flowers are
self-pollinating
Self-pollination is a form of pollination in which pollen from the same plant arrives at the stigma of a flower (in flowering plants) or at the ovule (in gymnosperms). There are two types of self-pollination: in autogamy, pollen is transferred to ...
and open only on hot days.
Taxonomy and naming
''Thelymitra cyanapicata'' was first formally described in 2004 by
Jeff Jeanes and the description was published in ''
Muelleria'' from a specimen collected near
Kuitpo.
The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
(''cyanapicata'') is said to be derived from the
Latin ''cyan'' meaning "blue" and ''apica'' meaning "apex",
referring to the colour of the anther lobe - a distinctive feature of this species.
In
classical Latin, means "dark-blue",
[Lewis, C.T. & Short, C. (1879). ''A Latin dictionary founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary.'' Oxford: Clarendon Press.] and is derived from
Ancient Greek (κυάνεος).
The ancient Greek word (κύανος) can also mean "dark-blue".
[Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). ''A Greek-English Lexicon, revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones with the assistance of Roderick McKenzie.'' Oxford: Clarendon Press.] In classical Latin, ''apica'' means "a sheep without wool on the belly",
while ''apex'' is the same as the English word "apex".
Distribution and habitat
The dark-tipped sun orchid grows in ''
Leptospermum
''Leptospermum'' is a genus of shrubs and small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae commonly known as tea trees, although this name is sometimes also used for some species of ''Melaleuca''. Most species are endemic to Australia, with the greate ...
'' thickets in woodland on the
Fleurieu Peninsula.
Conservation
''Thelymitra cyanapicata'' is only known from a single population in an area of about and is classified as "critically endangered" the under the Australian Government ''
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999''. The main threats to the species are forestry practices, grazing by rabbits and hares and by weed invasion.
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15468774
cyanapicata
Endemic orchids of Australia
Orchids of South Australia
Plants described in 2004