Thelymitra hatchii
Sun Orchid

PLANT: Terrestrial tuberous herb.
Up to 50cm tall when in flower. Dark reddish-green.

LEAVES: Single. Dark reddish-green or reddish-brown. Fleshy, often keeled and ribbed, forming a "V" or "U" in cross section.

FLOWERS: Up to 6 flowers, to 2cm across. Usually pale to deep mauve. Petals often a deeper colour than the sepals. Top of the column usually a dark reddish-brown. Cilia usually yellow, sometimes white.

FLOWERING TIME: November - February.

HABITAT: Clay banks, open areas amongst scrub, sometimes in bogs.
Lowland to sub-alpine.

CONSERVATION STATUS: Not Threatened. Local. Uncommon.

NOTES: A putative amphidiploid hybrid of Thelymitra longifolia and Thelymitra formosa, and therefore variable. The pink-ciliated form may be Thelymitra concinna.