Myrsine salicina < Species index > name
This article was published in Tararua Tramper July 2025
July in the hills with Michele Dickson and Chris Horne
White sun orchid. Māikuku. Thelymitra longifolia agg.
Origin of the botanical name - Thelymitra comes from a Greek word meaning 'female head-dress or turban' – referring to the small extension of the column which may form a collar around it or a cowl over it; longifolia means 'long-leaved'; 'agg.' means that the species has several forms. There are fifteen species of Thelymitra in Aotearoa. There are about forty-five species in the genus, mostly here and in Australia with some species in the Philippines and New Caledonia.
Distribution - White sun orchid is native to New Zealand. Look for it on rocks, banks and open ground from coastal to subalpine sites. It is most common in shrub-lands. It occurs on the Three Kings / Manawatawhi, Te Ika a Māui / North Island, Te Waipounamu / South Island, Rakiura / Stewart Island, Rekohu / Chatham Island and Auckland Island ... also on Norfolk Island, Tasmania and mainland Australia.
Growth habit and reproduction - The name ‘sun orchid’ refers to this species and other members of the genus growing in well-lit sites. They are hairless perennial terrestrial herbs with a tuber – a thickened underground stem. The flowers open widely in the sun, with their flower colours ranging from pale blue, pink or mauve to deep blue, purple or white. The petal- like parts are almost the same without a distinctive hood or lip. White sun orchid grows either as a solitary plant or in dense colonies of 4-20 plants arising from the underground tuber. The leaf is solitary, erect, sub-erect or trailing on the ground. The flowers are usually white or pale pink. When in flower,māikuku may be 5–50 cm tall, with leaves 10 - 20 mm wide, strap-shaped, often with ridges and thick but flaccid. The inflorescence may include 1-10 or even 20 flowers. Māikuku flowers from September to February and fruits from October to April.
Uses - The tubers were eaten raw or toasted.
Where to find white sun orchid? - Look for it in the Tararua, Remutaka and Aorangi Ranges and in the Wellington area's regional parks and native forest reserves.
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In The Hills 2025-06 < Index chronological > In The Hills 2025-08