Diuris abbreviata, commonly known as the lemon doubletail,[1] is a species of orchid that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has two or three leaves and a flowering stem with up to nine yellow flowers with darker markings.
Diuris abbreviata is a tuberous, perennial herb with two or three linear leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and folded in half lengthwise. There are between three and nine pale to bright yellow flowers with darker markings which lean forwards and are about 25sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and more or less erect. The lateral sepals are linear to lance-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide, and turn downwards. The petals are erect, ear-like above the flower, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide on a brownish, stalk-like "claw" NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The labellum is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and has three lobes. The centre lobe is broad egg-shaped, about 8sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with a ridge along its mid-line. The lateral lobes are narrow linear to triangular in shape, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. There are two ridge-like calli about 5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long near the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs from September to November.
Diuris abbreviata was first formally described in 1873 by George Bentham from a previously unpublished description by Ferdinand von Mueller and Bentham's description was published in Flora Australiensis.[2] [3] The specific epithet (abbreviata) is a Latin word meaning "shortened".[4]
The lemon doubletail grows in forest and grassland on the ranges and tablelands of New South Wales north of Barrington Tops to south-east Queensland.