''Diuris eborensis'' is a species of orchid which is endemic to eastern Australia. It has up to six grass-like leaves and a flowering stem with up to four pale yellowish flowers with dark reddish purple streaks. Diuris eborensis habit

Description

''Diuris eborensis'' is a tuberous, perennial

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

with between three and six linear, grass-like leaves long, wide. Up to four flowers wide are borne on a flowering stem tall. The flowers are pale yellowish with dark reddish-purple streaks and striations and lean slightly forwards. The dorsal sepal is long, wide and directed upwards at an angle. The lateral sepals are long, wide, and turn slightly downwards. The

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s are ear-like at the sides of the flower, long and wide on a purplish, stalk-like "claw" long. The labellum is long and has three lobes. The centre lobe is broad egg-shaped, long and wide and the side lobes are long and wide. The edges of the labellum are scalloped and there is a callus in its centre which has two short, broad ridges and a thin central ridge long. Flowering occurs from October to early December and the fruit which follows is a

dehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...

capsule containing up to 500 seeds.

Taxonomy and naming

''Diuris eborensis'' was first formally described in 2006 by David Jones and the description was published in ''Australian Orchid Research'' from a specimen collected near Rigney Creek, west of

Ebor Ebor is the abbreviation of the Latin '' Eboracum'', the early name of York in Britain. It may also mean: * Ebor, the legal alias of the Archbishops of York * Ebor, Manitoba, a community in Canada * Ebor, New South Wales, a village in Australia ...

Distribution and habitat

This donkey orchid grows in moist, grassy places near streams in five locations on the

New England Tableland New England is a vaguely defined region in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia, about 60 km inland from the Tasman Sea. The area includes the Northern Tablelands (or New England Tablelands) and the North West Slopes regions. A ...

Conservation

''Diuris eborensis'' is listed as "endangered" under the New South Wales ''

Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 The ''Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act)'' was enacted by the Parliament of New South Wales in 1995 to protect threatened species, populations and ecological communities in NSW. In 2016 it was replaced by the '' Biodiversity Co ...

'' and has been recommended for listing as "endangered" under the Australian Government '' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999''. The main threats to the species include grazing and trampling by cattle, competition from weeds, camping, roadworks and dumping of waste.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10267385 eborensis Endemic orchids of Australia Flora of New South Wales Plants described in 2006