Cleopatra’s Needles
Thelymitra apiculata
Notes
Cleopatra’s Needles is one of the most beautiful Sun Orchids of Australia and closely related to the Queen of Sheba (Thelymitra variegata). The flowers are of deep purple colour with bright yellow colouration along the edges of the petals and often also the sepals. The colour is generally quite variable and can range from blue to dark purple. The flowers often show a highly variable pattern of dark blotches and stripes. The common name, Cleopatra’s Needles, is a reference to the prominent needle-like tips at the end of the yellow column wings.
Cleopatra’s Needles is confined to a small region north of Perth, where the orchids grow amid low shrubs in lateritic soil. It flowers from about mid May until mid July, making it the first of Western Australia’s Sun Orchids to flower each season. As with many Sun Orchids, the flowers will only open in sunny weather and otherwise remain closed. Due to their relatively small size, the flowers are easily overlooked, as they don’t stand out very well against the surrounding dense shrubs.
Photos
References
- Thelymitra apiculata in the Australian Plant Name Index
- Thelymitra apiculata in the Atlas of Living Australia
- Thelymitra apiculata in the Western Australian FloraBase