Thelymitra pulchella Hook.f. APNI*
Description: Terrestrial herb.
Leaf linear lanceolate, to 12 cm long and 18 mm wide, fleshy, dark green.
Inflorescence to 60 cm high, 2–9-flowered. Perianth segments 17 mm long and 5 mm wide; lateral petals broader than the sepals, pink to blue and veined; lateral sepals sometimes lack veins. Column to 7 mm long, blue. Midlobe short, thickened, irregularly toothed, with a flattened, deep central notch, blue. Lateral arms erect, flattened, toothed or weakly fringed with acute, lobed tips, yellow or reddish.
Flowering: January–February
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in subalpine sites in heathy Sphagnum bogs; chiefly south from the Monaro region, also recorded for the Boyd Plateau.
NSW subdivisions: CT, ST
Other Australian states: Vic.
This species is widespread throughout N.Z. but until recently Australian plants were either interpreted as an Australian endemic (T. cyanea) or a recurrent hybrid between T. cyanea and T. pauciflora
Text by P. Bernhardt Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
|