''Diuris subalpina'', commonly known as slender 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 south-eastern continental Australia. It has two linear leaves and up to three bright yellow flowers with very fine, reddish streaks.

Description

''Diuris subalpina'' 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 linear leaves long. Up to three, almost drooping, bright yellow flowers with very faint red streaks are borne on a flowering stem tall. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, long and relatively small with reddish-brown streaks at the base, and an upturned tip. The lateral sepals are linear to lance-shaped, long and usually parallel to each other. The petals are drooping, narrowly egg-shaped to elliptic, long and usually underneath the labellum. The labellum is long and has three lobes, the side lobes tiny and horn-like with a reddish base and the mid-lobe six times longer than the side lobes. There are two softly-hairy longitudinal ridges near the base of the labellum and a faint ridge extending almost to the tip of the labellum. Flowering occurs from October to December.

Taxonomy

''Diuris subalpina'' was first formally described in 2008 by David Jones in "The Orchadian" from a specimen collected in

Namadgi National Park Namadgi National Park is a protected area in the south-west of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), bordering Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. It lies approximately southwest of Canberra, and occupies approximately 46 percent of ...

in 1996. 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 ...

(''subalpina'') means "less than high altitude", referring to the

montane Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

and subalpine habitat of this orchid.

Distribution and habitat

Slender golden moths is abundant in montane and subalpine areas of south-eastern New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and north-eastern Victoria.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10267420 subalpina Orchids of the Australian Capital Territory Orchids of New South Wales Orchids of Victoria (state) Plants described in 2008 Taxa named by David L. Jones (botanist)