Blue Lady Orchid - Thelymitra crinita
One of my favourite orchids due to the amazing blue color of the flowers. The 30-40 mm diameter flowers (around 11/2") have intense richness and depth, plus bloom freely on sunny days, so the 600 mm (2') tall blue lady always puts on a good show. Besides the beautiful flowers it also has a large impressive leaf (commonly around 100 mm or 4" in height by 50 mm or 2" in width), which presents long before the flowering stem, but at least you know one is on the way.
It is a widespread orchid, but usually only occurring in small-scattered colonies. It favours moist soils in sandy heath, but not wet sites, preferring to grow near seepage zones, flat (non-flooding) low-lying areas, around ephemeral swamps (often just above the Agonis vegetation), or granite outcrops. It does not need a bushfire to stimulate flowering, but can be smothered by other vegetation, therefore periodic burns to restrict taller growing shrubs would be an advantage. It can flower as early as September or as late as November, but tends to be more common during October.
