''Diuris pardina'', commonly known as the leopard orchid or leopard doubletail 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 ...

which 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 south-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 ...

. It has two or three grass-like leaves and up to ten yellow flowers with reddish-brown marks and blotches.

Description

''Diuris pardina'' 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 two or three linear leaves long, wide and folded lengthwise. Between two and ten flowers wide are borne on a flowering stem tall. The flowers are yellow and heavily blotched with dark reddish-brown. 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, long and wide. The lateral sepals are linear to lance-shaped, long, wide, turned downwards and usually strongly crossed. 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 erect to curved backwards, with an egg-shaped blade long and wide on a reddish-brown stalk long. The labellum is long and has three lobes. The centre lobe is wedge-shaped, long and wide and the side lobes are oval, long and about wide. There are two raised, fleshy calli long in the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs from August to October.

Taxonomy and naming

''Diuris pardina'' was first formally described in 1840 by

John Lindley John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...

and the description was published in his book, ''The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants''. 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 ...

(''pardina'') is derived from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

word ''pardos'' meaning "leopard".

Distribution and habitat

The leopard orchid 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 ...

, the

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...

, 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 ...

. It grows in well-drained soils in heath and forest and there is considerable variation in the colouration of the flowers. In New South Wales in occurs south from Mudgee and in Victoria it is widespread and common in the southern half of the state. Image:Diuris pardina.jpg, ''Diuris pardina'' at

Paddys Ranges State Park Paddys Ranges State Park, near Maryborough, northwest of Melbourne, Australia comprises of native vegetation. Gold mining and eucalyptus oil production within the park date back to the 1840s but have long been closed down. The vegetation ...

Image:Diuris pardina - Flickr 004.jpg, ''Diuris pardina'' in the Adelaide Hills Image:Diuris pardina (3).jpg, ''Diuris pardina'' in the Namadgi National Park in the A.C.T.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10267407 Orchids of New South Wales Orchids of South Australia Orchids of Tasmania Orchids of Victoria (state) Orchids of the Australian Capital Territory Endemic orchids of Australia pardina Plants described in 1840