Diuris parvipetala, commonly known as slender purple donkey orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to eastern Australia. It usually has two leaves at its base and up to nine relatively small, whitish to mauve flowers with purple markings. It is an uncommon species found in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.
Diuris parvipetala is a tuberous, perennial herb with two linear leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and folded lengthwise. Up to nine whitish to mauve flowers with purple markings and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide are borne on a flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The dorsal sepal is angled upwards, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and turned downwards. The petals are oblong, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and spread apart from each other on a purple-brown stalk NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The labellum is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and has three lobes. The centre lobe is spade-shaped, about 5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide with its tip turned downwards. The side lobes are about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. There are between two thick, ridge-like calli NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long in the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs from August to October.[1] [2]
The slender purple donkey orchid was first formally described in 1964 by Alick Dockrill who gave it the name Diuris punctata var. parvipetala. The description was published in The Victorian Naturalist from a specimen collected near Brigooda.[3] [4] In 1987 David Jones and Mark Clements raised it to species status as Diuris parvipetalum.[5] The specific epithet (parvipetala) is derived from the Latin words parvus meaning "small"[6] and petalum meaning "leaf".
Diuris parvipetala grows with grasses and between rocks from about Mount Moffatt in Queensland to Emmaville in New South Wales.
Diuris ochroma is classed as "vulnerable" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.