Thelymitra ixioides (Spotted Sun Orchid)

Thelymitra ixioides

Photograph by Nico Nelson from Sydney, Australia. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

Thelymitra ixioides. Muogamarra Reserve, part of Ku-ring-ai National Park north of Sydney

Photograph by David Lochlin. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

Spotted Sun Orchid, probably Thelymitra ixioides. Bairne Track, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Australia

Photograph by Poyt448 Peter Woodard. License: Public Domain. (view image details)

SPOTTED SUN ORCHID FACTS

distribution map showing range of Thelymitra ixioides in Australia

Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License

Common Name
Spotted Sun Orchid

Other Names
Dotted Sun Orchid

Description
The Spotted Sun Orchid is a ground growing orchid with small leaf to 2 cm long and 1 cm wide. The flower stem is up to 60 cm tall with clusters of up to eight flowers. The flowers are about 2 to 3 cm in diameter blue or mauve with dark spots. The plant flowers in spring and dies back to the tuber after flowering. There are two subspecies var. ixioides and var. subdifformis.

Habitat
grows on heath and wet eucalypt forest

Distribution
found in south east Queensland, eastern New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, south east South Australia and south west of Western Australia. Also found in New Zealand and New Caledonia

Growth Characteristics
Height: grows to 60 cm tall

Classification

Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Genus:	Thelymitra
Species:	ixioides
Common Name:	Spotted Sun Orchid

Relatives in same Genus
  Thelymitra crinita
  Thelymitra cyanea
  Thelymitra macrophylla
  Thelymitra pauciflora
  Thelymitra rubra