Swamp Diuris

Bendigo Victoria

Swamp diuris is an orchid belonging to a group commonly known as double tails (referring to the paired lateral sepals that point downwards). They are also known as donkey orchids because the two erect petals of some species resemble the ears of a donkey. Diuris species are terrestrial orchids that die back to fleshy tubers after flowering. Swamp diuris has 8 to 10 very narrow leaves that are 2 to 8 cm long, crimson at the base and are spirally twisted in a loose erect tuft. The leaves are fully developed by flowering time. Swamp diuris flowers  from September to November. In flower, the plants are 5 to 15 cm tall. They have 1 to 4 yellow fragrant flowers that are spotted and heavily blotched with red-brown, specially on the outer surface. The flowers, often nodding, are about 20 mm across, with rounded, stalked ‘donkey ears’ and greenish brown ‘double tails’ that hang down in parallel. Swamp diuris is easily distinguished from other Diuris species by its distinctive flower shape and preference for poorly to moderately drained habitats.

Swamp diuris is rare and localised in coastal areas, mostly in the north of the Tasmania, but also in the south-east. It also occurs in Victoria and South Australia. It is found in grassy open eucalypt forest, sedgy grassland and heathland with tea-tree and paperbark on poorly to moderately drained sandy peat and loams, usually in sites that are wet in winter, hence its common name. In total it occupies between 1 and 10 hectares, with no population occupying an area greater than one hectare.