Slender purple donkey orchid facts for kids

The slender purple donkey orchid (Diuris parvipetala) is a special type of orchid. It grows only in eastern Australia. This plant usually has two long leaves at its base. It can grow up to nine beautiful flowers. These flowers are often whitish to light purple with darker purple spots. It is not a very common plant. You can find it in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.

What Does It Look Like?

The slender purple donkey orchid is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years and has soft stems. It grows from a tuber, which is like a small underground storage part.

• Leaves: It has two long, thin leaves. They are about 20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches) long. They are also about 3 to 4 millimeters (0.12 to 0.16 inches) wide. These leaves are folded along their length.
• Flowers: The plant can have up to nine flowers on a single stem. This stem can be 20 to 45 centimeters (8 to 18 inches) tall. The flowers are whitish to light purple with purple markings. Each flower is about 17 to 22 millimeters (0.67 to 0.87 inches) wide.
• Sepals: Like many orchids, its flowers have parts called sepals and petals.
  • The top sepal points upwards. It is about 6 to 8 millimeters (0.24 to 0.31 inches) long.
  • The two side sepals hang downwards. They are much longer, about 30 to 45 millimeters (1.2 to 1.8 inches) long.
• Petals: The petals are small and oblong. They are about 3 to 4 millimeters (0.12 to 0.16 inches) long. They spread out from each other on a purple-brown stalk.
• Labellum: The labellum is a special lip-like part of the orchid flower. It is about 5 to 6.5 millimeters (0.20 to 0.26 inches) long. It has three parts, called lobes.
  • The middle lobe is shaped like a spade. It is about 5 millimeters (0.20 inches) long. Its tip points downwards.
  • The two side lobes are smaller, about 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) long.
• Calli: There are two thick, ridge-like bumps called calli on the middle of the labellum. They are about 3 to 4 millimeters (0.12 to 0.16 inches) long.
• Flowering Time: This orchid blooms from August to October.

How It Got Its Name

The slender purple donkey orchid was first officially described in 1964. A botanist named Alick Dockrill gave it the name Diuris punctata var. parvipetala. He wrote about it in a science journal called The Victorian Naturalist. He studied a plant found near Brigooda.

Later, in 1987, two other botanists, David Jones and Mark Clements, decided it was a unique species. They changed its name to Diuris parvipetalum.

The name parvipetala comes from two Latin words:

• parvus means "small"
• petalum means "leaf" (referring to the petals of the flower)

So, its name basically means "small-petaled" orchid.

Where Does It Live?

The slender purple donkey orchid grows in specific places. You can find it among grasses and between rocks. Its range stretches from Mount Moffatt in Queensland down to Emmaville in New South Wales.

Conservation Status

This orchid is considered "vulnerable" by the Queensland Government. This means it is at risk of becoming endangered if we don't protect it. It is listed under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Protecting its habitat is very important to help this beautiful orchid survive.