Thelymitra azurea, commonly called the azure sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single fleshy, grass-like leaf and up to ten dark azure blue flowers with darker veins. The lobe on top of the anther has a toothed or warty tip.
Thelymitra media is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single erect, fleshy, channelled, dark green, linear leaf NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and folded lengthwise. Up to ten dark azure blue flowers with darker veins, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide are arranged on a flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The sepals and petals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The column is blue to purplish, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lobe on the top of the anther is short and dark purplish with a toothed or warty yellow tip. The side lobes have white or purplish, mop-like tufts on their ends. The flowers are insect-pollinated and open on warm days. Flowering occurs from September to December.[1] [2] [3]
Thelymitra azurea was first formally described in 1917 by R.S. Rogers and the description was published in Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia.[4] [5] The specific epithet (azurea) is a Latinised version of the French word azure meaning "a blue colour",[6] referring to "the beautiful colour of the flowers".
The azure sun orchid grows in heath and forest in western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, including Kangaroo Island.