Diuris behrii, commonly known as golden cowslips,[1] is a species of orchid which is endemic to southern continental Australia. It has between three and six grass-like leaves and a flowering stem with up to four drooping, yellow flowers with dark streaks on the labellum. The flowers appear between September and November in its native range.
Diuris behrii is a tuberous, perennial herb with between three and six grass-like, narrow linear leaves up to 200sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. Up to four drooping, bright yellow flowers are borne on a flowering stem up to 500sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The pedicel of each flower is enclosed in a bract. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped, up to 17sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and leans forwards. It has dark streaks similar to those on the labellum. The lateral sepals are greenish, linear to lance-shaped, up to 25sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and turn downwards and parallel to each other. The petals spread sideways or droop and are narrow egg-shaped to elliptic, up to 25sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long on a green, stalk-like "claw". The labellum is up to 28sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, often has brownish streaks, and has three lobes. The centre lobe is a broad wedge shape, often with irregular edges. The lateral lobes are small and oblong with toothed edges. There are two ridge-like calli about 5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long near the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs from September to November.[2]
Diuris behrii was first formally described in 1847 by Diederich Franz Leonhard von Schlechtendal who published his description in Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde.[3] [4] The specific epithet (behrii) honours the German-American botanist, Hans Hermann Behr.
The golden cowslip orchid grows in grassland and woodland mostly in western Victoria but is also found in south-eastern South Australia. Plants previously included in D. behrii in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are now segregated as D. amabilis.[5]