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Thelymitra apiculata
Cleopatra's needles is a tuberous terrestrial orchid native to south-west Western Australia, grown mainly in its natural range and by enthusiasts of native orchids. It needs cool, mild winters, a winter-wet and summer-dry cycle, and very well-drained soil.
Thelymitra apiculata, commonly called Cleopatra's needles, is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, curved, dark green leaf with a purplish base and up to twelve purplish flowers with darker blotches and golden yellow edges. There are two yellow arms on the sides of the column, each ending with a needle-like point.
Thelymitra apiculata grows with low shrubs on top of low lateritic hills in the Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions.
Abrupt Sun Orchid · Wyong sun orchid · Gumland sun orchid · Bleak sun orchid · White sun orchid · Kath's sun orchid · Alpins striped sun orchid · Mountain sun orchid · Long-leaved sun orchid · Rabbit-eared sun orchid · Forest sun orchid · Great sun orchid
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Thelymitra apiculata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
