''Diuris orientis'', commonly called the eastern donkey orchid or wallflower donkey orchid, 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 eastern

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 ...

. Like others in the genus ''Diuris'', it has two ear-like

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 and is similar to the common donkey orchid ('' Diuris corymbosa'') of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

with which it has been confused. This species is found in

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 ...

, Victoria,

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

and

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

and its stalk-like petal "claw" is shorter in than those of ''D. corymbosa''.

Description

''Diuris orientis'' 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 ...

, terrestrial

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 ...

, usually growing to a height of . There are up to three leaves arising from the base of the plant, each leaf linear to narrow lance-shaped, long, wide and channelled. There are up to 6 yellow flowers with reddish brown, purplish and mauve markings on a

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

high. 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 ...

is erect, broadly egg-shaped, long and wide. The lateral sepals are greenish-brown, linear to lance-shaped, long, wide, project down below the flow and are parallel or sometimes crossed. The

s are erect and spread, ear-like above the flower. They are broadly egg-shaped, long, wide on a greenish-brown, stalk-like "claw", . (The claw in the similar Western Australian ''Diuris corymbosa'' is longer.) The labellum is long and is divided into three lobes. The lateral lobes are narrow egg-shaped to wedge shaped, long, wide, sometimes with a wavy margin. The medial lobe is , wedge-shaped, strongly folded with a rounded tip. There is a callus near the base of the mid-lobe, consisting of a narrow, yellow ridge. Flowering usually occurs between September and November. Diuris orientis labelled

Taxonomy and naming

''Diuris orientis'' was first formally described in 1998 by David Jones from a specimen collected at Beauty Point in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. 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 ...

(''orientis'') 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 "east", referring to the easterly distribution of this species, compared to other orchids in the ''Diuris corymbosa'' complex.

Distribution and habitat

The eastern wallflower orchid is widely distributed in South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. In New South Wales it is only found in the far south east, in and near the

Nadgee Nature Reserve The Nadgee Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve that is located in the far south coast region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The reserve is situated to the immediate south of Beowa National Park. Its southern border is boun ...

. In Victoria it is fairly common in open forest and heath. There is a dramatic increase in the flowering of this species after summer bushfires.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10267404 orientis Orchids of New South Wales Orchids of Victoria (state) Orchids of South Australia Orchids of Tasmania Flora of New South Wales Plants described in 1998 Taxa named by David L. Jones (botanist)