Diuris laxiflora

Diuris laxiflora, commonly called the banded bee orchid or bee orchid is a species of orchid which is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small orchid, common within its range and about half the size of the common donkey orchid, Diuris corymbosa.

Bee orchid
D. laxiflora growing in Cranbrook, Western Australia.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Genus: Diuris
Species:
D. laxiflora
Binomial name
Diuris laxiflora

Description

Diuris laxiflora is a tuberous, perennial herb with 4 to 6 tufted leaves, each 60–150 mm long and 2–3 mm wide. The flower stem is 300–500 mm long with 1 to 6 flowers. The flowers are 10–13 mm across, are yellow with brown spots and appear from August to October.[1][2]

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first described by John Lindley in 1839 and published in his "A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony" (1840).[3] In The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants he wrote "The pedicels and ovary together are about 3 inches long, which is less than the length of the internodes. Each stem bears from 4 to 8 flowers, which seem to be dark yellow, with no spotting, but perhaps with some stains of purple."[4]

The specific epithet (laxiflora) is derived from the Latin words laxus meaning 'wide', 'loose' or 'open' and floris, 'flower', referring to the open arrangement of the flowers.[5] The proper word for "flower" in classical and botanical Latin is flos, genitive singular floris.[6][7]

Distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to the south western corner of Western Australia, occurring in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren biogeographical regions of Western Australia. It grows in sand, lateritic loam, clay and granite rock margins in winter-wet swamps.[8]

gollark: <@319753218592866315> fix.
gollark: !time set "Low Earth Orbit"
gollark: Of course we have orbital bees, for the orbital bee strikes...
gollark: Explain or orbital bees.
gollark: How does asm2bf work, anyway? Does it generate "idiomatic" brain[REDACTED], or just some kind of interpreter for compiled stuff?

References
  1. "Diuris laxiflora L.f." FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  2. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 124. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. "Diuris laxiflora". APNI. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  4. Lindley, John (1835). The genera and species of orchidaceous plants. Ridgways, Piccadilly, London. pp. 510–511. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  5. Brown, Andrew; Dixon, Kingsley; French, Christopher; Brockman, Garry (2013). Field guide to the orchids of Western Australia : the definitive guide to the native orchids of Western Australia. p. 227. ISBN 9780980348149.
  6. Lewis, C.T. & Short, C. (1879). A Latin dictionary founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  7. Stearn, W.T. (1983). Botanical Latin. History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary. (3rd edition). Newton Abbot London: David Charles.
  8. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 84. ISBN 0646402439.
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