Jeffrey Jeanes has revised the Thelymitra pauciflora complex in Australia. This paper has other important lessons for us.

1.  The T. longifolia complex is divided artificially into the T. nuda complex (large flowers open readily, fragrant, bee-pollinated - what we would call T. aff. longifolia), and the T. pauciflora complex (small unscented flowers, usually self-pollinating).

2.  Although the column remains the important distinguishing feature, the leaf structure, sterile
bracts, flower colour, colour of parts of the column, habitat preference and flowering time may
also be important.

3.  Jeanes provides a useful explanation of the terms to describe parts of the column.

4.  Before we describe NZ plants in the T. pauciflora complex, we need to check if any have already been listed in this paper.

5.  T. pauciflora s.s. grows in NZ. The only other member of the complex recorded from NZ is
T. malvina.

6.  T. brevifolia is newly described: it is very like the orange-column T. aff. pauciflora illustrated
by Eric Scanlen in J92 p14. I think the latter should be called T. aff. brevifolia in the meantime.

7.  Of the other new species described by Jeanes, two are more robust and appear to match robust plants in New Zealand: T. bracteata and T. peniculata.

8.  Of previously recognised species, the following are common in eastern Australia:
T. angustifolia, T. arenaria, T. mucida, T holmesii. Others have restricted distributions
(some only in western Australia) and seem unlikely to be here.

Reference

Jeanes J. A revision of the Thelymitra pauciflora R.Br. (Orchidaceae) complex in Australia.
Muelleria 2004. 19: 19-79.