Thelymitra speciosa, commonly called the Eastern Queen of Sheba, is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.
It has a single erect, spiral, dark green leaf with a purplish base and one or two glossy flowers that is typically deep mauve to purple in colour (some sources describe the colour as blue), dark spots, often with a purple stripe down the centre of each petal and sepal. It can have broad reddish edges, yellowish margins, through to orange.
Thelymitra speciosa belong to the genus Thelymitra, a group of orchids known collectively as Sun Orchids because the flowers of most of the species in this genus, open on hot sunny days and close again at night.7
Thelymitra speciosa was first formally described in 2009 by Jeff Jeanes and the description was published in Muelleria. The specific epithet (speciosa) is a Latin word meaning “showy” or “splendid “, referring to this ” very spectacular and showy species”.
Source: Wikipedia4
Photographs © Terry Dunham
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Charophyta
- Class: Equisetopsida
- Subclass: Magnoliidae
- Superorder: Lilianae
- Order: Asparagales
- Family: Orchidaceae
- Genus: Thelymitra
- Species: Thelymitra speciosa
Footnote & References
- Thelymitra speciosa (Eastern Queen of Sheba’s), Stirling Range National Park WA. Photographs © Terry Dunham
- Thelymitra speciosa Jeanes, Eastern Queen of Sheba, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/taxon/apni/51414420#classification
- Eastern Queen of Sheba (Thelymitra speciosa), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/480307-Thelymitra-speciosa
- Thelymitra speciosa, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelymitra_speciosa
- Thelymitra speciosa Jeanes, Eastern Queen of Sheba, Western Australian Herbarium (1998–). Florabase—the Western Australian Flora. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Accessed 7 October 2023), https://florabase.dbca.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/20735
- Thelymitra variegata, pulcherrima, speciosa – Queen of Sheba, Orchids of South-West Australia, https://chookman.id.au/wp_orchids/?page_id=1417
- Thelymitra, Sun Orchids, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, https://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/RFKOrchids/key/rfkorchids/Media/Html/genera/Thelymitra.htm
- Queen of Sheba, Joel’s Blog, Have Home Will Travel, https://havehomewilltravel.com/queen-of-sheba/
Thelymitra speciosa (Eastern Queen of Sheba’s)Colour variation
OrchidaceaeOrchidaceae Index Caladenia barbarossa (Dragon Orchid) Caladenia bryceana subsp. bryceana (Dwarf Spider Orchid) Caladenia corynephora (Club-lipped Spider Orchid) Caladenia drummondii (Winter Spider Orchid) Caladenia integra (Smooth-lipped Spider Orchid) Caladenia latifolia (Pink Fairies) Caladenia lobata (Butterfly Spider Orchid) Caladenia melanema (Ballerina Orchid) Caladenia polychroma (Joseph’s Spider Orchid) Caladenia pulchra (Slender Spider Orchid) Caladenia pusilla (Tiny Caladenia) Caladenia serotina (Christmas Spider Orchid) Caladenia tessellata (Thick-lip Spider Orchid) Caleana major (Flying Duck Orchid) Cephalotus follicularis (Western Australian Pitcher Plant) Cryptostylis ovata (Slipper Orchid) Dendrobium kingianum (Pink Rock Orchid) Dendrobium speciosum (Rock Orchid) Drakaea glyptodon (King-in-his-carriage Orchid) Drakaea livida (Warty Hammer Orchid) Elythranthera emarginata (Pink Enamel Orchid) Epiblema grandiflorum (Babe-in-a-cradle Orchid) Ericksonella saccharata (Sugar Orchid) Glossodia major (Wax-lip Orchid) Leptoceras menziesii (Rabbit Orchid) Microtis cupularis (Cupped Mignonette Orchid) Paracaleana nigrita (Flying Duck Orchid) Pterostylis angusta (Narrow-hooded Shell Orchid) Pterostylis cheraphila (Floodplain Rustyhood) Pterostylis ciliata (Hairy Rufous Greenhood) Pterostylis hamiltonii (Red-veined Shell Orchid) Pterostylis mutica (Midget Greenhood) Pterostylis picta (Painted Rufous Greenhood) Pterostylis vittata (Banded Greenhood Orchid) Rhizanthella johnstonii (Southern Underground Orchid) Spiculaea ciliata (Elbow Orchid) Thelymitra antennifera (Lemon-scented Sun Orchid) Thelymitra sp. Ongerup (Orange Sun Orchids) Thelymitra speciosa (Eastern Queen of Sheba’s)
FloraFlora in Australia Flora Index Acacia Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Annual Yellowtop Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme Apple Bush (Pterocaulon sphacelatum) Australian Bluebell Australian Gossypium Banksia Batswing Coral Tree Billy Buttons Birdsville Indigo Blue Pincushion Bush Banana Callistemon Callitris drummondii (Drummond’s Cypress Pine) Calothamnus quadrifidus Cape Honeysuckle Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) Cattle Bush Common Heath Crotalaria Darwinia wittwerorum (Wittwer’s Mountain Bell) Daviesia oppositifolia (Rattle-pea) Desert Oaks Drumsticks Eremophila Eucalyptus Ficus Flannel Cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum) Georges Indigo Goatshead Burr (Sclerolaena bicornis) Golden Everlasting Goodenia Gossypium Grass and Grasses Grass Trees Grevillea Grey Germander Hakea Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) Lambertia sp Leptospermum MacDonnell Ranges Cycad Maireana scleroptera Mexican Poppy Minnie Daisy Mistletoe Family Nardoo Native Apricot Nicotiana megalosiphon subspecies sessilifolia Nuytsia floribunda Orange Spade Flower Orchidaceae Parakeelyas (Calandrinia) Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Perennial Yellow Top Pink Everlasting Pink Rock Wort Poached Egg Daisy Portulaca Proteaceae Ptilotus Quandong Resurrection Fern Rosy Dock Ruby Saltbush Santalum Solanum Spike Centaury Spinifex Storkbill (Erodium cygnorum) Striped Mint Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tall Saltbush Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Tribulus eichlerianus Upside-down Plant Urodon dasyphylla Variable Daisy Waratah (Telopea) Wertabona Daisy White Cedar (Melia azedarach) White Indigo White Paper Daisy Wild Passionfruit Wild Stock Woolly-Headed Burr Daisy Woolly Bush Yellow-keeled Swainsona