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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

Thelymitra apiculata
The flowers are usually deep purple with yellow edges and a complex pattern of dark patches and lines. (Gingin, WA, 06 / 06 / 2015)
Thelymitra apiculata
The yellow colouration is most prominent along the edges of the petals and less pronounced along the sepals. (Gingin, WA, 15 / 06 / 2014)
Thelymitra apiculata
Some specimens are covered with numerous dark spots... (Gingin, WA, 06 / 06 / 2015)
Thelymitra apiculata
...while others are almost uniformly purple without any markings. (Gingin, WA, 06 / 06 / 2015)
Thelymitra apiculata
The colour is generally quite variable, and some specimens are almost blue rather than purple. (Gingin, WA, 15 / 06 / 2014)
Thelymitra apiculata
The orchid’s common name is a reference to the needle-like tips at the end of the yellow column lobes. (Gingin, WA, 06 / 06 / 2015)
Thelymitra apiculata
Each plant normally carries two to six flowers, rarely more. (Gingin, WA, 06 / 06 / 2015)
Thelymitra apiculata
Despite their bright colours, the flowers are easily overlooked amidst the surrounding dense shrubs. (Gingin, WA, 06 / 06 / 2015)
Thelymitra apiculata
Cleopatra’s Needles grow in lateritic soil amidst low shrubs. (Gingin, WA, 06 / 06 / 2015)

References