Diuris amabilis

Diuris amabilis
Conservation status
In the Australian Capital Territory
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Orchidoideae
Tribe:	Diurideae
Genus:	Diuris
Species:	D. amabilis
Binomial name
Diuris amabilis D.L.Jones

Diuris amabilis, commonly known as lovely moths, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has between four and eight grass-like leaves, a flowering stem with up to five yellow flowers with a few dark streaks, and a yellow to orange labellum. The flowers appear from late September to November.

Description

Diuris behrii is a tuberous, perennial herb with between four and eight grass-like, linear to narrow linear leaves 100–250 mm (3.9–9.8 in) long and 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide. Up to five yellow flowers are borne on a flowering stem 200–500 mm (7.9–19.7 in) tall, each flower on a pedicel 7–30 mm (0.28–1.18 in) long. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, up to 13–18 mm (0.51–0.71 in) long, 7–11 mm (0.28–0.43 in) and leans forwards at its lower half then erect. The lateral sepals are narrowly egg-shaped to spatula-shaped, 18–25 mm (0.71–0.98 in) long, 3.0–4.5 mm (0.12–0.18 in) wide, turned beneath the labellum and parallel to each other. The petals are nearly horizontal or droop, elliptic to narrowly egg-shaped, 17–27 mm (0.67–1.06 in) long, 2.0–2.5 mm (0.079–0.098 in) wide on a stalk 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long. The labellum has three lobes, the lateral lobes narrowly triangular, 3.0–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) wide, the mid-lobe broadly egg-shaped, 16–20 mm (0.63–0.79 in) long and 11–15 mm (0.43–0.59 in) wide. There are two pimply orange calli 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long near the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs from late September to November.

Taxonomy and naming

Diuris amabilis was first formally described in 2019 by David Jones in Australian Orchid Review from a specimen collected near Bookham in 1992. The specific epithet (amabilis) means "lovely", referring to the flowers of this orchid.

Distribution and habitat

Lovely orchid mostly grows in grassland, grassy woodland and forest, and around swamps at altitudes between 200 and 1,100 m (660 and 3,610 ft). It is found south from Orange in New South Wales to near Tooborac in central northern Victoria. There is a single record from the Australian Capital Territory. Records of Diuris behrii from these areas are now referrable to D. amabilis.