Thelymitra simulata, commonly called the collared sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single fleshy, channelled leaf and up to six blue flowers with small darker spots. It grows in higher altitudes places part and the flowers have a purple lobe with a yellow tip on top of the anther.
Thelymitra simulata is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single fleshy, channelled, linear to lance-shaped leaf NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with a reddish base. Up to six blue flowers with darker spots, 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=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The column is bluish white, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lobe on the top of the anther is brownish purple with a yellow tip and small teeth. The side lobes have mop-like tufts of white hairs. Flowering occurs in December and January but the flowers are self-pollinated and only open on hot days.[1] [2] [3]
Thelymitra simulata was first formally described in 1998 by David Jones and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research.[4] The specific epithet (simulata) is a Latin word meaning “imitate" or "copy",[5] referring to the similarity of this species to T. × truncata.
The collared sun orchid grows in montane and subalpine grassland, woodland and forest in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania.