Thelymitra aff longifolia
Sun Orchid   Maikuku

PLANT: Terrestrial tuberous herb.
A complex of several taxa similar to Thelymitra longifolia in habitat and structure.

LEAVES: Some species have a flat ribbon-like leaf as in T longifolia, others have a channelled leaf.

FLOWERS: Up to 20 flowers.
1 - 2 cm across. White or pink. Scented. Some plants form dense flower spikes, others have widely spaced flowers. Top of the column often notched. The flowers often all opening at the same time on the same spike.

FLOWERING TIME: October - January.

HABITAT: Lowland to sub-alpine. Sunny places on clay banks, open areas amongst scrub, tracksides and roadsides.

CONSERVATION STATUS: Not threatened. Common.

NOTES: A fair amount of taxonomic research needs to be undertaken in order to clarify this species. Many are insect pollinated.