Early Donkey Orchid
Diuris perialla
Notes
The Early Donkey Orchid can be found in inland areas of western WA from near Mingenew in the north to Victoria Plains in the south. Flowering in June and July, it is one of the first Diuris species of WA to flower each season. It has a preference for lateritic soils and is typically encountered in woodlands, heath and on lateritic breakaways.
The Early Donkey Orchid looks very similar to the Winter Donkey Orchid (Diuris brumalis) which flowers at the same time of the year. In general, the Early Donkey Orchid would appear to be slightly more colourful than the Winter Donkey Orchid, occurs further north and flowers slightly earlier (June–July) than the latter (July–August). However, both species overlap in both flowering period and geographic range, making identification of individual specimens difficult near the southern end of its range.
Photos
References
- Diuris perialla in the Australian Plant Name Index
- Diuris perialla in the Atlas of Living Australia
- Diuris perialla in the Western Australian FloraBase