Tomaree donkey orchid | |
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Diuris arenaria growing near Port Stephens | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Orchidaceae |
Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
Tribe: | Diurideae |
Genus: | Diuris |
Species: | D. arenaria |
Binomial name | |
Diuris arenaria | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Diuris sp. aff. punctata (Nelson Bay) |
Diuris arenaria, commonly known as the Tomaree donkey orchid [2] or sand doubletail [3] is a species of orchid which is endemic to a very small area of New South Wales. It has two grass-like leaves and up to nine mauve or light purple and white flowers. It has a very limited distribution near Newcastle.
Diuris arenaria is a tuberous, perennial herb with two linear to lance-shaped leaves 150–500 mm (6–20 in) long, 2–6 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide and folded lengthwise. Up to nine mauve or light purple and white flowers 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem 150–500 mm (6–20 in) tall. The dorsal sepal is more or less erect, egg-shaped, 10–18 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long and 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide. The lateral sepals are greenish, narrow lance-shaped, 15–40 mm (0.6–2 in) long, 1.5–3 mm (0.06–0.1 in) wide, turned downwards and parallel to each other or crossed. The petals are erect or turned backwards with an egg-shaped blade 10–17 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long and 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide on a blackish stalk 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. The labellum is 10–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long and has three lobes. The centre lobe is egg-shaped to wedge-shaped, 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long and 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide and the side lobes are narrow oblong, 2.5–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) wide. There are two purple, ridge-like calli extending from the base of the labellum to its midpoint. Flowering occurs from August to September. [2] [4]
Diuris arenaria was first formally described in 1999 by David Jones from a specimen collected between Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay and the description was published in The Orchadian. [5] The specific epithet (arenaria) is a Latin word meaning "sandy". [6]
The Tomaree donkey orchid is only known from a small part of the Tomaree National Park where it grows in sandy soil in heathy forest. [2] [4]
Diuris arenaria is classed as "endangered" under the New South Wales Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 . The main threats to the species are risk of extinction due to small distribution and population size, habitat disturbance and fragmentation, weed invasion and inappropriate fire regimes. [3]
Diuris pardina, commonly known as the leopard orchid or leopard doubletail is a species of orchid which is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has two or three grass-like leaves and up to ten yellow flowers with reddish-brown marks and blotches.
Diuris orientis, commonly called the wallflower orchid or eastern wallflower orchid, is a species of orchid which is endemic to eastern Australia. Like others in the genus Diuris, it has two ear-like petals and is similar to the common donkey orchid of Western Australia with which it has been confused. This species is found in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania and its stalk-like petal "claw" is shorter in than those of D. corymbosa.
Diuris venosa, commonly known as the veined doubletail is a species of orchid which is endemic to New South Wales. It has a few thin, erect leaves and up to four white to lilac-coloured flowers with deep red to purple blotches and lines.
Diuris alba, commonly called the white donkey orchid, is a species of orchid which is endemic to eastern Australia. It has up to three leaves, and a flowering stem with up to seven white flowers with purplish markings.
Diuris eborensis is a species of orchid which is endemic to eastern Australia. It has up to six grass-like leaves and a flowering stem with up to four pale yellowish flowers with dark reddish purple streaks.
Diuris dendrobioides, commonly known as the wedge diuris, is a species of orchid which is endemic to eastern Australia. It has one or two leaves and a flowering stem with up to six pale lilac-coloured to mauve flowers with darker markings.
Diuris brevifolia, commonly known as the short-leaved donkey orchid, is a species of orchid which is endemic to South Australia. It has a few narrow, twisted leaves and a flowering stem with up to five bright yellow flowers with brown markings and relatively large, spreading lobes on the labellum. This is a relatively late-flowering species of donkey orchid.
Diuris praecox, commonly known as the early doubletail, Newcastle doubletail or rough doubletail is a species of orchid which is endemic to New South Wales. It has two or three grass-like leaves and up to ten light yellow flowers with a few dark brown marks. It is threatened by urbanisation.
Diuris punctata, commonly known as the purple donkey orchid is a species of orchid which is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has two grass-like leaves and up to ten purple or mauve flowers, often with darker, sometimes yellow marks. A yellow form from near Guyra is probably now extinct.
Diuris byronensis, commonly known as the Byron Bay donkey orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to the Arakwal National Park in New South Wales. It has one or two grass-like leaves and up to five bright yellow flowers with blackish markings. It has a very limited distribution near Byron Bay.
Diuris callitrophila, commonly known as the Oaklands doubletail or Oaklands diuris, is a species of orchid which is endemic to a small part of southern New South Wales. It has two or three leaves and up to nine whitish and mauve flowers with darker markings and unusually long lateral sepals.
Diuris exitela, commonly called the Mount Moffat doubletail, is a species of orchid which is endemic to central western Queensland. It has two linear leaves at its base, up to twelve bright yellow flowers with dark brown markings and grows on sandstone cliffs and ridges.
Diuris flavescens, commonly called the pale yellow doubletail or Wingham doubletail, is a species of orchid which is endemic to a small area in New South Wales. It has two linear leaves at its base and up to five pale yellow flowers with dark brown markings. Fewer than 200 plants survive in grassy forest near Wingham.
Diuris fragrantissima, commonly called the fragrant doubletail or Sunshine diuris, is a species of orchid which is endemic to a small area to the west of Melbourne. It has two linear leaves at its base and up to twelve white flowers with mauve or pale purple markings with unusually long lateral sepals. Only about thirty plants survive in grassland near Sunshine.
Diuris oporina, commonly called the autumn donkey orchid or northern white donkeys tails is a species of orchid that is endemic to Queensland. It has a single tapering, linear leaf at its base and up to ten white flowers with mauve to purple markings. It grows in the drier parts of the tablelands in Far North Queensland.
Diuris parvipetala, commonly known as slender purple donkey orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to eastern Australia. It usually has two leaves at its base and up to nine relatively small, whitish to mauve flowers with purple markings. It is an uncommon species found in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.
Diuris pedunculata, commonly known as the small snake orchid, is a species of orchid which is endemic to New South Wales. It usually has two leaves at its base and one or two yellow and orange flowers with purple markings. It originally occurred in scattered populations between Tenterfield and the Hawkesbury River but because of habitat loss is now only known from the New England Tableland.
Diuris pulchella, commonly called the beautiful donkey orchid is a species of orchid that is endemic to the south-eastern part of the south-west of Western Australia. It has two or three leaves at its base and up to five bright yellow and mauve flowers described as "exquisite", "spectacular" and "attractive". It grows in shallow soil on granite outcrops near Esperance.
Diuris striata is a poorly-known species of orchid that is endemic to New South Wales. It has a two grass-like leaves and about four mauve flowers with dark purple streaks on the labellum.
Diuris tricolor, commonly known as the long-tailed donkey orchid or pine donkey orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has up to three grass-like leaves and up to six orange-coloured to yellow flowers with white and purplish tints. The lateral sepals are unusually long.