''Thelymitra pulchella'', commonly called the striped sun orchid, is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae that is endemic to New Zealand. It has a single erect, fleshy, channelled leaf and up to fourteen blue flowers with darker stripes on the

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 ...

and sometimes also on the sepals. 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. ...

and its lobes are variable in shape and colour.

Description

''Thelymitra pulchella'' 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 leaf long and wide. Up to fourteen blue, sometimes pink or white flowers wide are borne on a flowering stem sometimes up to tall. The petals, and sometimes also the sepals have dark blue stripes. The column is dark blue, pink, mauve or white and long. The arms on the sides of the column are reddish brown and sometimes have red or yellow teeth. The lobe on top of the anther is variable in colour and shape but often has irregular teeth. Flowering occurs from October to January.

Taxonomy and naming

''Thelymitra pulchella'' was first formally described in 1853 by Joseph Dalton Hooker and the description was published in '' Flora Novae-Zelandiae''. 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 ...

(''pulchella'') is the diminutive form of the Latin word ''pulcher'' meaning "beautiful". Hooker described this species as "very handsome".

Distribution and habitat

The striped sun orchid grows in open shrubland and often in wetland. It is found on the North,

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

, Stewart and Chatham Islands.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15468332

pulchella ''Pulchella'' is a diatom genus in the family Naviculaceae. Species the genus contains seven described species. *''Pulchella baicalensis'' *''Pulchella kriegeriana'' *''Pulchella minutissima'' *''Pulchella obsita'' *''Pulchella schwabei'' *'' ...

Endemic orchids of New Zealand Orchids of New Zealand Plants described in 1853