Thelymitra antennifera

Common Name:

Rabbit Ears

Family:

Distribution (from Flora of Victoria):

Lowan Mallee, Wannon, Grampians, Midlands, Otway Plain, Gippsland Plain, Wilsons Promontory (BCDEHJKMNPRSTX) also WA, SA, Tas
Map - Australasian Virtual Herbarium

Distribution and ecological preference at Wilsons Promontory (if known):

Drier areas in grasslands to woodlands ^1,2

Flower Description:

Lemon yellow inside and red-brown outside ¹

Habit:

Small terrestrial orchid to 25 cm tall ¹

Distinguishing characteristics (within family/genus):

This species differs from the other four locally common species on the Prom. Thelymitra aristata has stems to 1 m tall and purple-blue flowers, T. carnea has short stems with pink and yellow flowers, T. flexuosa has pale yellow flowers on a twisted stem and T. rubra has pink and yellow flowers but with a longer column than T. carnea ¹

Images:

Links to more images:

Atlas of Living Australia MELU

Links to description of this species:

VicFlora

Conservation status:

Not threatened

References:

¹ Meagher, D. and Kohout, M. (2001). “A field guide to Wilsons Promontory”. Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Vic.
² Walsh, N. G. and Entwisle, T. J. “Flora of Victoria”, volumes 2 (1994), 3 (1996) and 4 (1999). Inkata Press, Port Melbourne, Victoria