Diuris picta, commonly called the granite bee orchid or granite donkey orchid, is a species of orchid which is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has between three and five leaves at its base and up to eight creamy-white to yellow flowers with brownish purple markings. It grows on granite outcrops between Menzies and Lake King.
Diuris picta is a tuberous, perennial herb with between three and five leaves at its base, each leaf NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. Up to eight creamy-white to yellow flowers with brownish purple markings, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide are borne on a flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The dorsal sepal curves upwards, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The lateral sepals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and turned downwards. The petals are more or less erect or turned backwards, spread widely apart from each other, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide on a dark green stalk NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The labellum is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and has three lobes. The centre lobe is broadly egg-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and wide and the side lobes are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. There are two parallel callus ridges NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long near the mid-line of the base of the labellum. Flowering occurs in September and October.[1] [2] [3]
Diuris picta was first formally described in 1853 by James Drummond and the description was published in Hooker's Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany.[4] The specific epithet (picta) is a Latin word meaning "coloured" or "painted".[5]
The granite bee orchid grows between Menzies and Lake King in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Mallee and Yalgoo biogeographic regions.
Diuris picta is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.