Pterostylis longicurva

Long-tongued greenhood
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species: P. longicurva
Binomial name
Pterostylis longicurva
Rupp[1]
Synonyms[2]

Pterostylis longicurva, commonly known as the long-tongued greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. As with similar greenhoods, the flowering plants differ from those which are not flowering. The non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves flat on the ground but the flowering plants have a single flower with leaves on the flowering stem. This greenhood has a white and green flower with brown markings and a long, curved, brown labellum.

Description

Pterostylis longicurva is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and when not flowering, a rosette of between three and seven dark green, egg-shaped leaves lying flat on the ground. Each leaf is 10–25 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 5–15 mm (0.2–0.6 in) wide. Flowering plants have a single flower 16–22 mm (0.6–0.9 in) long and 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide which leans slightly forwards on a flowering stem 60–180 mm (2–7 in) high with between three and five stem leaves. The flowers are white with bold green stripes and brown markings. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column, the dorsal sepal with a short point.The lateral sepals are in loose contact with the galea, erect or backswept, have thread-like tips 12–16 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and a curved V-shaped sinus between their bases. The labellum is 15–18 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide, brown, curved and protrudes prominently above the sinus. Flowering occurs from April to June.[3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis longicurva was first formally described in 1941 by Herman Rupp from a specimen collected near Upper Horton. The description was published in Contributions from the New South Wales National Herbarium.[1] The specific epithet (longicurva) is derived from the Latin words longus meaning "long"[5]:494 and curvus meaning "bent".[5]:139

Distribution and habitat

The long-tongued greenhood grows on shady slopes in forest from Coonabarabran in New South Wales to south-east Queensland.[3][4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Pterostylis longicurva". APNI. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  2. ↑ "Pterostylis longicurva". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  3. 1 2 Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 295. ISBN 1877069124.
  4. 1 2 Jones, David L. "Pterostylis longicurva". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  5. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
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