Thelymitra peniculata

Thelymitra peniculata, commonly called the trim sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to southern eastern Australia. It has a single long, erect, fleshy, channelled leaf and up to eighteen deep blue to purple self-pollinating flowers.

Description
Thelymitra peniculata is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single erect, dark green, fleshy, channelled, linear leaf 140-400 mm long and 5-20 mm wide with a purplish base. Up to eighteen deep blue to rich purple flowers 14-22 mm wide are arranged on a flowering stem 250-650 mm tall. The sepals and petals are 6-12 mm long and 3-6.5 mm wide. The column is pink or purplish, 4.5-6.5 mm long and 2.5-4 mm wide. The lobe on the top of the anther is dark brown to blackish with a yellow tip, tubular and sharply curved with a notched tip. The side lobes curve upwards and have untidy, mop-like tufts of white hairs. Flowering occurs from September to November but the flowers are self-pollinating and only open on hot days.

Taxonomy and naming
Thelymitra peniculata was first formally described in 2004 by Jeff Jeanes. The description was published in Muelleria from a specimen collected near Narrandera. The specific epithet (peniculata) is derived from the Latin word peniculus meaning "brush" referring to the loose, semi-erect tuft of hairs on the lateral lobes.

Distribution and habitat
The trim sun orchid usually grows in a range of habitats from grassland to forest south from Mount Kaputar in New South Wales to the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and the Flinders Ranges in South Australia.