Sun Orchid
Thelymitra "Chain Valley Bay"
At Tumbi Wetlands this orchid thrives in a grassy woodland of Maleleucas where they are easily found on a sunny day while flowering, but not so on a cool dull day.
Unfortunately this orchid has only been observed in September 2006 after a rather wet winter and early Spring.
It was also the first flowering season after the Christmas eve fire of 2005. 2007 was much dryer through July, August and September even though June was very wet. I suspect that its flowering may have been triggered by the fire.

Another small outcrop of these flowers was found in September 2008. Research by staff at the NSW Herbarium has decided that this is a hybrid similar to the one first identified 30 kms away.

(Scale in cms)

Updated on ... November 8, 2008

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