''Diuris gregaria'', commonly known as clumping golden moths is a species of

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to Victoria. It between three and seven leaves and one or two bright yellow flowers with a few dark striations and usually grows in dense tufts of up to thirty plants. It is a rare species mostly only found in grassland west of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Description

''Diuris gregaria'' is a

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

ous,

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

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 ...

which often grows in densely crowded tufts of up to thirty plants. Each has between three and seven narrow linear leaves long and wide in a loose tussock. One or two bright yellow flowers with a few short, dark striations, wide are borne on a flowering stem tall. The dorsal is egg-shaped and held close to horizontally, long and wide. The lateral sepals are green, lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, long, about wide, turned below horizontal and usually parallel to each other. 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 curve forwards, elliptic to egg-shaped, long and wide on a green stalk long. The labellum is long and has three lobes. The centre lobe is egg-shaped, long and wide and the side lobes are oblong to wedge-shaped, long and about wide with irregular edges. There are two dark yellow, pimply callus ridges near the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs in September and October.

Taxonomy and naming

''Diuris gregaria'' was first formally described in 2006 by David Jones from a specimen collected near

Derrinallum Derrinallum is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Hamilton Highway, in the Corangamite Shire. The town is the centre for the surrounding farming community and lies at the foot of Mount Elephant. Mount Elephant is a 380 m-high conical b ...

and the description was published in ''Australian Orchid Research''. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''gregaria'') is a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word meaning "pertaining to a flock or herd", referring to the clumping habit of this species.

Distribution and habitat

Clumping golden moths grows in grassland on the basalt plains in western Victoria.

Conservation

This orchid is classed as "endangered" under the Victorian government ''

Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 The ''Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988'', also known as the ''FFG Act'', is an act of the Victorian Government designed to protect species, genetic material and habitats, to prevent extinction and allow maximum genetic diversity within the Au ...

''. Its range has been reduced by farming and agriculture.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10267393 gregaria Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of Victoria (state) Plants described in 2006 Taxa named by David L. Jones (botanist)