Species

Thelymitra nervosa

Etymology

Thelymitra: woman's hat
nervosa: with conspicuous veins

Common Name(s)

Spotted sun orchid, sun orchid

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Thelymitra nervosa Colenso

Family

Orchidaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

THENER

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Orchids

Synonyms

Thelymitra decora Cheeseman

Distribution

Endemic. North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.

Habitat

Lowland to alpine (up to 1400 m a.s.l.). Mostly montane in northern part of range, extending to lowland area in the southern South Island, Stewart and Chatham Islands. In well lighted places within tall forest, scrub, tussock grassland or on more or less bare lava fields (Tongariro National Park).

Features

Terrestrial, tuberous, glabrous, spring to summer-green perennial herb, growing solitary or in colonies of 4-10 plants arising through vegetative extension. Leaf broad, channelled and deeply keeled, (60-)90(-260) x (8-)12(-20) mm. Plant at flowering up to 600 mm tall. Bracts 1-2(-3), foliaceous, closely-sheathing, fleshy, of similar colour to stem and leaf. Inflorescence a (1-)10-flowered raceme. Flowers up to 18 mm diameter, spreading, rarely widely spreading, segments dark to pale blue, mauve, pink or white usually with darker blue spotted petals, sometimes without spots. Sepals and petals alike, ovate-oblong, subacute more or less concave (cupped) resulting in a rounded appearance to the flower. Labellum slightly spathulate. Column erect, 3-6 mm tall, usually pale pink grading to dark purple near post-anther lobe; post-anther lobe extending well above anther-tip, initially dark purple and tuberculate above middle, margin yellow, narrowly hippocratiform, somewhat membranous with a finely denticulate apex, weakly cucullate.; column-arms terete to plano-convex in cross section; cilia copious, somewhat coarse, arising from sides, back and top of arm and mostly standing higher than post-anther lobe. Anther not thickened or incurved.

Similar Taxa

Easily distinguished from other New Zealand Thelymitra by the rounded and cupped flower segments; spotted (not striped) petals; more or less terete (in cross-section) column arms furnished with copious white cilia; horse-shoe shaped, tuberculate and apically yellow post anther lobe.

Flowering

October - February

Flower Colours

Blue,Violet / Purple

Fruiting

November - April

Propagation Technique

Very easily grown in a sunny, well drained site. Although easily cultivated, like all orchids it should not be removed from the wild.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 54

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

Attribution

Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970).

References and further reading

Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. II. Government Printer, Wellington.

This page last updated on 17 Dec 2014