''Diuris ochroma'', commonly known as pale goat orchid, or pale 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 to south-eastern continental

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It has three or four leaves at its base and up to four slightly drooping pale yellow flowers with dark reddish purple streaks. It is an uncommon species found in two disjunct populations, in higher parts of each of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and Victoria.

Description

''Diuris ochroma'' 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 ...

with between three and four linear leaves long and wide. Up to four slightly drooping pale yellow flowers with dark reddish purple streaks and about wide are borne on a flowering stem tall. The dorsal

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

projects forward and is egg-shaped, long and wide. The lateral sepals are lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, long, wide, lean downwards and are more or less 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 are egg-shaped, long, wide and spread apart from each other on a green to purplish stalk long. The labellum is long and has three lobes. The centre lobe is oblong, wide with a raised ridge in its midline. The side lobes are oblong, about long, wide with dark reddish purple streaks. There are between two and four more or less parallel callus ridges in the lower part of the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs in November and December.

Taxonomy and naming

''Diuris ochroma'' was first formally described in 1994 by David Jones from a specimen collected near the

Wonnangatta River The Wonnangatta River is a perennial river of the Mitchell River catchment, located in the Alpine and East Gippsland regions of the Australian state of Victoria. Features and location The Wonnangatta River rises below Mount Despair, part of ...

and the description was published in '' Muelleria''. Jones stated that 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 ...

''ochroma'' was derived from the Greek ''ochroma'', and means "pale" or "wan", referring to the pale yellow flowers of this species. In ancient Greek, ''ochroma'' (ὤχρωμα) is a

noun A noun () is a word that generally functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, or ideas.Example nouns for: * Living creatures (including people, alive, d ...

meaning "

pallor Pallor is a pale color of the skin that can be caused by illness, emotional shock or stress, stimulant use, or anemia, and is the result of a reduced amount of oxyhaemoglobin and may also be visible as pallor of the conjunctivae of the eyes o ...

".Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). ''A Greek-English Lexicon. Revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones with the assistance of Roderick McKenzie.''Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Distribution and habitat

The pale goat orchid occurs in two disjunct areas, one in New South Wales and one in Victoria. The New South Wales population, estimated in 2008 to include about 130 plants, occurs on the

Monaro Tableland Monaro may refer to: * Monaro (New South Wales), a region in the south of the Australian state ** Division of Eden-Monaro, federal electorate ** Electoral district of Monaro, state electorate * Monaro Highway, the main state highway from Canberra t ...

. Two Victorian populations, estimated to contain a total of about eight thousand plants in 2010, are found in the Alpine National Park and on a roadside near Abbeyard.

Conservation

''Diuris ochroma'' is classed as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government '' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'', as "endangered" in New South Wales under the '' Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016'' and as "threatened" in Victoria under the ''

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 ...

''. The main threats to the species are weed invasion, grazing by native, feral and stock animals, habitat loss and disturbance and inappropriate fire regimes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10267403 ochroma Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of New South Wales Orchids of Victoria (state) Plants described in 1994 Taxa named by David L. Jones (botanist)