Common name: Large golden moths, Snake Orchid, Golden Moths
Diuris lanceolata Lindl. APNI* 
Description: Terrestrial herb.
Leaves 3–9, linear to filiform, 6–15 cm long, 1–3 mm wide, erect.
Raceme 15–40 cm high, 1–4-flowered. Flowers nodding, pale yellow to bright yellow with fine striations on the base of the labellum and dorsal sepal, 2.5–4 c. across. Dorsal sepal narrow-ovate to ovate, 12–16 mm long, 5–9 mm wide, obliquely erect. Lateral sepals linear to oblanceolate, 12–25 mm long, 2.5–4 mm wide, directed upward, parallel or divergent. Petals ± horizontal or drooping; lamina narrow-elliptic to ovate, 5–20 mm long, 4–9 mm wide; claw 2–7 mm long. Labellum 10–27 mm long; lateral lobes linear, 2–6 mm long, 1–3 mm wide, margins deeply lobed; callus of 2 fleshy, irregular, pubescent ridges 6–9 mm long, coalescent into a poorly defined central ridge 4–5 mm long, sometimes several ridges radiating on the midlobe.
Flowering: August–February
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in moist grassy areas, among shrubs in sclerophyll forest and heath; coast and tablelands, south from Guyra.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, SWP
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. ?S.A.
Threatened species: Commonwealth EPBC: Endangered
A complex of variants at present under study. Hybridizes with D. platychila (producing D. X polymorpha Messmer)
Text by D. L. Jones
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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