About Drakaea thynniphila A.S.George
Drakaea thynniphila, commonly known as the narrow-lipped hammer orchid, shares key traits with other species in its genus: it has a single ground-hugging leaf and an underground tuber. For this species specifically, the leaf is heart-shaped, around 25 millimetres (1 inch) in diameter, covered with tiny raised bumps, fairly glossy dark green, and marked with darker lines that radiate out from its attachment to the stem. The stem grows 25 to 40 centimetres (10 to 20 inches) long, and the stalk holding the single flower measures 12 to 16 millimetres (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long. Like other hammer orchids, this species has a labellum that resembles a flightless female thynnid wasp. It differs from other Drakaea species by having a longer, less swollen labellum that lacks spots. Unlike narrow-lipped hammer orchids (which have a spine on the column), Drakaea thynniphila does not share this spine trait. The sepal at the back of the flower is 12 to 14 millimetres (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long, while the two side sepals are 10 to 12 millimetres (0.4 to 0.5 inches) long. The petals are also 10 to 12 millimetres (0.4 to 0.5 inches) long. The insect-shaped labellum has a "head" section that is one-half to one-third the length of its "body" section. The head is densely hairy and has two dark maroon lumps at its base. The rest of the labellum, which forms the insect-like female body, is dark maroon, has scattered hairs, and the tip of the abdomen-shaped section is aligned straight with the rest of the labellum. Flowers of this species appear from September to late November. The narrow-lipped hammer orchid is distributed from near Busselton to Albany, where it grows in sand in open clearings within woodland and forest.
