Greek thelys – female; mitra – headband or hat; an apparent allusion to the decorative hood-like column tip.
Terrestrial herbs, sympodial, deciduous.tubers ovoid, paired at base of leaf, rarely also produced singly at ends of short fleshy roots. Leaves solitary, basal, channelled, linear to ovate, rarely spirally twisted, margins entire, fleshy, green to purplish, stalkless. Inflorescence a terminal raceme, erect. Flowers resupinate, 1-many, small to medium sized, white, yellow, pink, red, blue or purplish. Sepals, petals and labellum usually similar, ovate to elliptic, spreading, free; petals and labellum often slightly smaller and sometimes different in colour. Column thick, erect, broadly winged at front, the wings united at base, tip 3-lobed, midlobe (post-anther lobe) small or hooding, sometimes ornamented, side lobes entire, warty or terminated by a tuft of hairs. Pollinia 2, mealy. These native terrestrial orchids are occasionally grown in pots by enthusiasts. Some species are moderately hardy and grow well in a light well-drained compost that is normally changed annually.
About 60 species from Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Backhouse & Jeanes (1995).
Source: (2005). Orchidaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.