''Diuris suffusa'', commonly known as mottled donkey orchid,
is a species of
orchid that is
endemic to the
south-west
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
of
Western Australia. It has two or three linear to lance-shaped leaves and up to seven cream-coloured to creamy-yellow flowers with light brown to reddish-brown markings.
Description
''Diuris suffusa'' is a
tuberous,
perennial 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 to lance-shaped leaves long and wide. Up to seven cream-coloured to creamy-yellow flowers with light brown to reddish-brown markings, long and wide are borne on a flowering stem tall. The dorsal
sepal is egg-shaped, long, wide and curved backwards, the
lateral sepals narrowly oblong, turned back and crossed, long and wide. 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 ...
blades are oblong to elliptic, long and wide on a stalk long. The
labellum is long with three lobes - the centre lobe wedge-shaped, long and wide, the side lobes spread widely apart and oblong, long and wide. There is a single smooth, yellow
callus ridge long, along the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs from late August to late September.
Taxonomy and naming
''Diuris suffusa'' was first formally described in 2016 by
David Jones and
Christopher J. French
Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει ...
in ''Australian Orchid Review'', from a specimen collected by French near the
Trayning to
Bencubbin road in 1999.
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 ...
(''suffusa'') means "suffused" or "tinged", referring to the pale colour of the flowers, tinged with darker colours.
Distribution and habitat
Mottled donkey orchid grows in low shrubland and shrubby woodland in the area between Bencubbin, Trayning,
Wyalkatchem and
Koorda in the
Avon Wheatbelt and
Coolgardie bioregions of south-western Western Australia.
Conservation
''Diuris suffusa'' is listed as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) is the Western Australian government
The Government of Western Australia, formally referred to as His Majesty's Government of Western Australia, is the Australian state de ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q44247361
suffusa
Endemic orchids of Australia
Orchids of Western Australia
Plants described in 2016
Taxa named by David L. Jones (botanist)
Endemic flora of Western Australia