Thelymitra "Whakapapa"
Sun Orchid

PLANT: Terrestrial tuberous herb.
Slender. Flower stem to less than 30cm. Resembles a small pink Thelymitra longifolia. Stem and outside of buds brownish purple.

LEAVES: Single. More or less upright, 5 - 10mm wide, arching and usually V-shaped in cross-section.

FLOWERS: Several flowers per stem, 1cm across, pink - mauve in colour. Usually has triangular spurs high on the column wings... giving them a rectangular appearance, but these are sometimes lacking. Cilia white, coarse. Column midlobe brownish, tip yellow.

FLOWERING TIME: January - February.

HABITAT: Open areas amongst montane scrub.

CONSERVATION STATUS: Data Deficient. Local and uncommon.

NOTES: Known only from Mt Ruapehu, Wellington, Wairarapa, and possibly Mt Taranaki. May be Colenso's Thelymitra purpureo-fusca.