Andy It is very unlikely to D. semilunulata there and with that many leaves is most likely D. pardina or as you suggest a D. pardina x chryseopsis hybrid. I see many like this at Goorooyarroo where the variation is quite large both colour and form. We would need to see a photo of the flower from the front showing the labellum and dorsal sepal from the front before we could better know.
Is this now more likely to be D. nigromontana given what I see as its similarity to three of my other sightings on this site that Tobias has recently confirmed?
Andy this perfectly the reason for my hesitancy in the quickly put it in a box approach. If you are saying this typical of the others then we have a problem. The type for both D. nigromontana and D. semilunulata state 2 leaves and only D. pardina has 3. Secondly the main defining type feature for D. nigromontana is that unlike D. semilunulata the petals and lateral sepals do not curve back out of the way but are held in the same general plain as the dorsal sepal and labellum. All these flower have both petals and lateral sepals curved right back. That's 2 strikes and we are then left with colour or the possibly looks like factor. I have for the last two seasons been conducting an extensive survey in the new Goorooyarroo extension to Mulligans flat in preparation for its intended future usage. As you will know these two locations are not very separate and what I can tell you is variation in the Diuris is extensive with every colour combination imaginable from pure yellow no markings but not D. aequalis through to more dark markings than not, with endless hybrids that may even resemble species not found on the east coast states. If you went on looks like I could have found examples to fit species I am convinced are really not present or could not/should not be present. Diuris pardina when it grows with D. chryseopsis produces such considerable variation and hybrids. Variation that includes a full colour range not just in the flowers but the stems as well. I did discuss these plants you found with Mark Clements last week and while not ruling out D. negromontana though it very unlikely. I believe this particular plant is most likely a pale form of D. pardina and neither D. semilunulata nor D. nigromontana. I remain concerned when extending a species range on only photo interpretation.
@DerekC my reasoning is that being a pale Diuris in the vicinity of D. nigromontana it could very easily and quite likely be that species. Admittedly that isn't the most robust reasoning for making an ID so will defer to your judgement.
Thanks Derek and Matt. A vexed issue. Leave to you or Matt to change the ID as you think fit? Derek, sorry I shot from the hip, duly ignoring my original observations e.g. 3 leaves and recurved sepals even though the dorsal sepal resembles that of D. nigromontana (as per Egan, Wood et al). Yes given your reasoning and the confirmation of D. pardina for a couple of my other sightings at this site I defer to your judgement i.e. it's most likely a pale form of D. pardina if not a D. pardina hybrid.
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