Diuris
(from dis, double, and oura, a tail; in allusion to the two tail-like sepals). ORD. Orchideae. This genus of terrestrial Orchids, containing about fifteen species, all of them interesting, and some very beautiful, is almost unknown in our gardens, and the species as yet introduced are very rare. All are natives of Australia. For culture, see Pterostylis. D. alba (white). fl. white, rose, green, brownish-purple. August. h. 1ft. New South Wales, 1875. (B. M. 6201.) D. curvifolia (curved-leaved). A synonym of D. maculata. D. elongata (elongated). A synonym of D. punctata.
D. lilacina (lilac). A synonym of D. punctata.
D. maculata (spotted). fl. yellow, on long pedicels, much spotted or blotched with brown or purple, and sometimes almost entirely dark-coloured except the yellow centre of the petals, under 1/2in. long; dorsal sepal erect, rigid, and embracing the column at the base, ovate-oblong, and very open at the top; lateral sepals at length recurved, narrow, rarely exceeding the petals; petals ovate, on a long rigid dark-coloured claw; lip shorter than the dorsal sepal, three-lobed from above the base, the lateral lobes large and usually as long, or nearly as long, as the broad middle lobe. March. l. narrow. Queensland, 1825. A rather small slender species, usually under 1ft. high. SYNS. D. curvifolia and D. pardina. (B. M. 3156.) D. pardina (leopard-marked). A synonym of D. maculata. D. punctata (dotted). fl. blue or purplish, often dotted; dorsal sepal in the typical form broadly ovate-oblong; lateral sepals deflexed, very narrow; petals broadly elliptical-oblong; lip about as long as the dorsal sepal, divided at the base into three lobes. l. usually two, 1inear, 3in. to 6in. long, with two empty sheathing bracts above them. Stems 1ft. to 2ft. high, or even more. SYNS. D. elongata and D. lilacina.