Diuris fucosa

Diuris fucosa is a species of orchid that is endemic to New South Wales. It between four and seven leaves and up to four pale yellow flowers with a few brown striations. It is only known from two sites in Callitris woodland in the south of the state and is classed as "extinct" in Victoria.

Description
Diuris fucosa is a tuberous, perennial herb with a loose tussock of between four and seven narrow linear leaves 100-250 mm long and 1-3.5 mm wide. Up to four pale yellow flowers 30-40 mm wide are borne on a flowering stem 150-300 mm tall. The dorsal is egg-shaped and held close to horizontally, 11-15 mm long and 7-11 mm wide. The lateral sepals are green, lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 15-25 mm long, 1.5-4 mm wide and turned below horizontal and usually parallel to each other. The petals spread apart from each other, elliptic to egg-shaped, 10-18 mm long and 5-10 mm wide on a green to brown stalk 4-7 mm long. The labellum is 15-22 mm long and has three lobes. The centre lobe is broadly egg-shaped, 12-17 mm long and 7-14 mm wide and the side lobes are oblong to wedge-shaped, 2-4 mm long and 1-2 mm wide with irregular edges. There are two thick, brown, pimply callus ridges near the mid-line of the labellum. Flowering occurs in August and September.

Taxonomy and naming
Diuris fucosa was first formally described in 2006 by David Jones from a specimen collected near Urana and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research. The specific epithet (fucosa) is a Latin word meaning "painted", "simulated" or "counterfeit", referring to the tan-brown markings on the labellum of this orchid.

Distribution and habitat
This orchid grows in Callitris woodland in two locations between Urana and Narrandera, one in a state forest and the other on private property. There are two old collections from Victoria but the species is now classed as "extinct" in that state.