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|genus=Thelymitra

|genus=Thelymitra

|common_name=Sun orchid

|common_name=Sun orchid

|Temp Metric=°F

|Temp Metric=°F

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|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!

|image=Upload.png

|image=Thelymitra rubra 220404.jpg

|image_width=240

|image_width=240

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'''Thelymitra''' is a genus of [[orchid]]s known as 'sun orchids' in reference to their habit of only opening in warm weather. 

| name = ''Thelymitra''

 

They are about 100 species distributed in higher rainfall areas across [[Australia]] (with 50 or so species), [[New Zealand]] (10+ endemic species), [[New Caledonia]] (2), [[Timor]], [[Java (island)|Java]], and the [[Philippines]]. 

| growth_habit = ?  <!--- tree, shrub, herbaceous, vine, etc -->

 

| high = ?  <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->

The [[type species]] is ''Thelymitra longifolia'' J.& G. Forst. 1775 from the South Island of New Zealand. The scientific name Thelymitra was given by  J. R. and G. Forster, [[botanist]]s on [[Captain Cook]]'s second voyage. The genus name is derived from the Greek words ''thely'' (woman) and ''mitra'' (mitre hat), referring to elaborate shape of the staminodal (staminode = sterile [[stamen]]) structure at the top of the [[column (botany)|column]], called a mitra.

| wide =     <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->

 

| origin = ?  <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->

These terrestrial orchids are only above ground during spring and early summer, usually with a single [[leaf]], growing up from two underground [[tuber]]s. It is elongated or linear-lanceolate and glabrous. The Custard Orchid (''T. villosa'') is the only species with a hairy leaf. The leaves of ''T. spiralis'' and ''T. variegata'' are spirally twisted.

| poisonous =    <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->

 

The [[flower]] stalk  is usually  a bluish-green colour.  The flower stem usually carries 4 to 10 flowers (even up to 20 flowers in the Plain Sun Orchid, ''T. holmesii''), often opening all at once, though some species have only one flower each year. The flower size is between 1 and 6 cm. These flowers only open in bright sunlight (in combination with warmth and humidity), close at night and during cold or cloudy weather.

| exposure = ?  <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->

 

Sun orchids exhibit a particular characteristic : their [[labellum|lip]] shows, except in a few species such as ''T. variegata'', almost the same shape, colour, colour pattern or size as the other petals and sepals. This gives a symmetrical shape to the [[tepal|perianth]]. Furthermore the lip lacks ornamentation. In other orchid genera, the lip has a distinctive shape and colour. The particular shape and color of the sun orchids mimics the flowers of lily family (Liliaceae) and the family Goodeniaceae, aiming by deceit for the same insect [[pollinator]]s. The Slender Sun Orchid (''T.pauciflora'') only opens for a short time (or not at all) and is self-pollinating. This self-pollination is a successful strategy followed by several other species such as and ''T. circumsepta'', ''T. graminea'', ''T. holmesii'' and ''T. mucida''.

| features =    <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->

 

| hardiness =    <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->

Once the weather dries out the leaf shrivels away and the orchid lies as a single spherical tuber.

| bloom =    <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->

 

| usda_zones = ?  <!--- eg. 8-11 -->

Sun orchids come in most colours, including purple, deep blue (''T. pauciflora''), white, pink, magenta, maroon, yellow (''T. antennifera'') and red (''T. x macmillanii'').  Most are a single colour or have spots, a few have stronger variation and are multi-coloured. The deep blue colour, found in about 75% of the sun orchids, is of a rare kind, found only in 5 other orchid genera.

| sunset_zones =    <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available -->

 

| image = Thelymitra rubra 220404.jpg

| image_caption = Salmon Sun orchid (''Thelymitra rubra'')

{{Inc|

{{Inc|

Thelymitra (Greek, woman and cap, alluding to the hood-shaped column). Orchidaceae. Terrestrial herbs with ovoid tubers, occasionally grown in the greenhouse. Lf. solitary, usually with a rather long sheath, linear, lanceolate or rarely nearly ovate: fls. usually several in a terminal raceme, sometimes reduced to 1 or 2, blue, purple, red, or yellow, occasionally with white varieties; sepals and petals nearly equal, spreading; labellum similar; column erect, broadly winged, the wings variable, sometimes extended into a broad lobed hood over the anther, lateral lobes often penicillate or crested: caps. erect, obovoid or oblong, beakless. About 30 species, Austral., New Zeal., New Caledonia, and Malaya. Cult. similar to that of bletia. None of the species is in common cult., but a number of them are of interest to orchid fanciers.

Thelymitra (Greek, woman and cap, alluding to the hood-shaped column). Orchidaceae. Terrestrial herbs with ovoid tubers, occasionally grown in the greenhouse. Lf. solitary, usually with a rather long sheath, linear, lanceolate or rarely nearly ovate: fls. usually several in a terminal raceme, sometimes reduced to 1 or 2, blue, purple, red, or yellow, occasionally with white varieties; sepals and petals nearly equal, spreading; labellum similar; column erect, broadly winged, the wings variable, sometimes extended into a broad lobed hood over the anther, lateral lobes often penicillate or crested: caps. erect, obovoid or oblong, beakless. About 30 species, Austral., New Zeal., New Caledonia, and Malaya. Cult. similar to that of bletia. None of the species is in common cult., but a number of them are of interest to orchid fanciers.

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