Diuris punctata
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, [New South Wales|Guyra] is probably now extinct.Description
Diuris punctata is a tuberous, perennial herb with two linear leaves long, wide and folded lengthwise. Up to ten flowers wide are borne on a flowering stem tall. The flowers are purple or mauve, often with darker, sometimes yellow marks. The dorsal sepal is more or less erect, elliptic to egg-shaped, long and wide. The lateral sepals are greenish-brown, linear to lance-shaped, long, wide and turned downwards. The petals are erect with an egg-shaped blade long and wide on a dark coloured stalk long. The labellum is long and has three lobes. The centre lobe is broadly egg-shaped to fan-shaped, long and wide and the side lobes are linear to wedge-shaped, long and wide. There are two ridge-like calli about long, surrounded by yellow in the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs from September to December.Taxonomy and naming
Diuris punctata was first formally described in 1804 by James [Edward Smith |James Edward Smith] and the description was published in Exotic Botany. The specific epithet is a Latin word meaning "spotted".Distribution and habitat
The purple donkey orchid is found in New [South Wales], the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria growing in forest and grassland. In New South Wales it occurs south from the Moonbi Range and in Victoria north from the Mornington Peninsula. A form known as Diuris punctata var. sulfurea was known from a property near Guyra but is now thought to be extinct. It had smaller, yellow flowers.Conservation
Diuris punctata is classed as "threatened" in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna [Guarantee Act 1988]. The main threats to the species are competition from weeds and grasses, grazing and soil disturbance.