Pale Yellow Doubletail - profile

Scientific name: Diuris flavescens 
 Conservation status in NSW: Critically Endangered Ecological Community

Description

A ground orchid belonging to the Doubletail, or Donkey Orchid, group, it is a small herb with two leaves to 17 cm long, at the base of the plant. In spring the plant produces a 20 cm flowering stem with up to six flowers. The mustard-yellow and brown flowers overlap vertically and are about 16 mm across. They have the typical yellow ‘donkey ear’ sepals bent back at the top, and narrow, darker sepals crossed below the flower forming the ‘doubletail’. An upper sepal projects over the flower like a veranda and has two brown markings, while the lower tongue-like petal has a slight ridged fold down its centre.

Location and habitat

Distribution
 Known only from the Wingham area.

• Grows in tall eucalypt forest with Kangaroo Grass and Bladey Grass river flats on brown clay soil.
• Flowers September to October.

Regional information
This species is found in the following catchment management authority regions. Click on a region name to see more details about the distribution, vegetation types and habitat preference of the species in that region.

• Hunter/Central Rivers

Threats

• Illegal removal of plants by orchid enthusiasts.
• Use of herbicides near known populations.
• Mowing of habitat during the flowering season.

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Department of Environment and Conservation has identified 14 priority actions to help recover the Pale Yellow Doubletail in New South Wales.

What needs to be done to recover this species?

• Appreciate viewing and photographing native orchids but leave them in the wild.
• Avoid mowing over the plants during the flowering season (spring).
• Be careful in the use of herbicides near the known population, and consideralternatives where available.
• Notify the DEC of any new occurrences of Pale Yellow Doubletail.

References

• Bishop T. (2000). Field Guide to the Orchids of New South Wales and Victoria. New South Wales University Press, Sydney.
• Harden G.J. (ed.) (1993). Flora of New South Wales Vol. 4. UNSW Press, Kensington, NSW.
• NPWS (2000). Threatened Species of the Lower North Coast of New South Wales. NPWS, Sydney.
• NSW Scientific Committee (1998) Diuris flavescens (a terrestrial orchid) - Endangered species determination - final. DEC (NSW), Sydney.