Diuris brachyscapa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Western wheatbelt donkey orchid | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Diuris brachyscapa near the Stirling Range National Park | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Diuris |
| Species: | D. brachyscapa |
| Binomial name | |
| Diuris brachyscapa | |
Diuris brachyscapa, commonly known as western wheatbelt donkey orchid,[2] is a species of orchid that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has two or three linear leaves and a flowering stem with up to four pale yellow flowers with brown markings.
Diuris brachyscapa is a tuberous, perennial herb, usually growing to a height of 150–300 mm (5.9–11.8 in) with two or three linear leaves 120–250 mm (4.7–9.8 in) long and 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) wide. There are up to four pale yellow flowers with brown markings, 20–30 mm (0.79–1.18 in) wide. The flowers have erect, ear-like petals 13–20 mm (0.51–0.79 in) long, an egg-shaped dorsal sepal 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) long and 7–11 mm (0.28–0.43 in) wide, and narrowly oblong lateral sepals 11–18 mm (0.43–0.71 in) long. The labellum has three lobes, the lateral ones broad and spreading, and the middle lobe broad and flattened to convex with a yellow callus. Flowering occurs from late July to September.[3][4]
This donkey orchid is similar to (D. corymbosa) but is shorter and has fewer and smaller flowers.
Taxonomy and naming
Diuris brachyscapa was first formally described in 2016 by David Jones and Christopher French in Australian Orchid Review from specimens collected by French near Kweda in 1996.[5] The specific epithet (brachyscapa) means "short stem", referring to the short habit of this species compared to D. corymbosa.[3]