▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁an ther ▁is ▁yellow ▁with ▁a ▁dark ▁blue ▁band ▁on ▁the ▁back ▁and ▁several ▁rows ▁of ▁crow ded , ▁finger - like ▁g lands ▁with ▁yellow ▁or ▁orange ▁tips . ▁The ▁side ▁lo bes ▁have ▁dense , ▁to oth br ush - like ▁tu ft s ▁of ▁white , ▁p ink ▁or ▁bl u ish ▁hair s . ▁The ▁flowers ▁are ▁sometimes ▁self - pol lin ating ▁but ▁more ▁commonly ▁insect ▁pol lin ated . ▁Flow ering ▁occurs ▁from ▁September ▁to ▁December . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁and ▁naming ▁Th ely mit ra ▁i x io ides ▁was ▁first ▁formally ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 5 ▁by ▁the ▁Swedish ▁botan ist , ▁O lo f ▁Sw art z ▁and ▁the ▁description ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁Ne ues ▁Journal ▁fur ▁die ▁Botan ik . ▁The ▁specific ▁ep ith et ▁( ix io ides ) ▁refers ▁to ▁a ▁perce ived ▁similarity ▁to ▁plants ▁in ▁the ▁genus ▁I x ia . ▁The ▁ending ▁- o ides ▁is ▁a ▁Latin ▁suffix ▁meaning ▁" li ken ess ". ▁ ▁Distribution ▁and ▁habitat ▁The ▁sp otted ▁sun ▁orch id ▁is ▁w ides p read ▁and ▁common ▁in ▁Australia , ▁less ▁so ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁It ▁grows ▁in ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁habit ats ▁but ▁is ▁most ▁common ▁in ▁he ath ▁and ▁forest . ▁It ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Dar ling ▁Down s ▁of ▁Queensland , ▁on ▁the ▁coast ▁and ▁table lands ▁of ▁New ▁South ▁Wales ▁and ▁the ▁Australian ▁Capital ▁Territ ory , ▁in ▁most ▁of