Citation: R. Rogers, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 46:148 (1922).

Synonymy: D. sulphurea R. Br. var. brevifolia (R. Rogers) J. Weber & Bates in J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 417 (1978). , Diuris emarginata

Common name: Late donkey-orchid, short-leaved donkey-orchid, small tiger-orchid.

Description:
Plant slender, 15-40 cm high; tubers comma-shaped to snake-like, 2-10 cm long; leaves 2-8, generally 4 or 5, linear or setaceous, not twisted, very erect, 7-12 cm long, rarely reaching beyond the middle of the stem.

Flowers 1-6 in a loose and slender raceme, shining, yellow with few brown markings; dorsal sepal c. 11 mm long, ovate, recurved, with a dark-brown spot on each side of the lower surface near the base; lateral sepals 15-23 mm long, parallel or slightly recurved, linear, acuminate, green or green and brown; petals c. 14 mm long, on a brown stalk 2-3 mm long, spreading, lamina elliptical, yellow; labellum sessile, 3-lobed, trapezoid, yellow, at least as long as the dorsal sepal and usually longer; lateral lobes 5-7 mm long, narrow, margins entire, tips recurved; middle lobe rhombo-cuneate, with depressed antero-lateral margins, lamina with 2 parallel raised lines on the basal half continuous with the anterior central keel, the lines surrounded in front and on both sides by a conspicuous dark-brown border; anther hardly pointed, its apex as high as the viscid disk of the rostellum, lateral appendages of the column prominent, linear-falcate, a little higher than the viscid disk, incurved.

Published illustration: Goldsack (1944) S. Aust. Field Nat. 22, 3:9; Fiveash & Lothian (1974) Australian orchids, t. 75, right.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: EP, SL, KI. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Nov. — Dec.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: This species is difficult to distinguish from some forms of D. sulphurea on flowers alone but is easily separated by its snake-like comma-shaped tubers and linear, erect more numerous leaves. It is also difficult to distinguish from some forms of the Western Australian D. emarginata R. Br. of which it may be a geographical variant. A putative hybrid has been recorded with D. longifolia.

Author: Not yet available