Pterostylis monticola

Large mountain greenhood
Pterostylis monticola growing near Mount St Gwinear
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Subtribe: Pterostylidinae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species: P. monticola
Binomial name
Pterostylis monticola
D.L.Jones[1]

Pterostylis monticola, commonly known as the large mountain greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a rosette of fleshy leaves at the base of the plant and a single dark green and white flower. It grows in alpine and sub-alpine colonies.

Description

Pterostylis monticola is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of three to seven dark green, fleshy leaves surrounding the base of the flowering stem. Each leaf is egg-shaped to elliptic, 40-90 mm long and 15-25 mm wide. A single dark green and white flower 40-50 mm long and 17-22 mm wide is borne on a spike 200-400 mm high. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column. The dorsal sepal is the same length as the petals and curves forward with a pointed tip. There is a wide gap between the galea and the lateral sepals. The lateral sepals are erect and have thread-like tips 15-20 mm long and a bulging V-shaped sinus between them. The labellum is 16-20 mm long, about 4 mm wide, brown and curved and protrudes above the sinus. Flowering occurs from November to March.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis monticola was first formally described in 1994 by David Jones and the description was published in Muelleria from a specimen collected in the Brindabella Range.[1] The specific epithet (monticola) is derived from the Latin words montis meaning "mountains"[6]:533 and -cola meaning "dweller".[6]:217 referring to the montane habitat of this orchid.[2]

Distribution and habitat

The large mountain greenhood is common in moist grassy areas in montane forest and shrubland in New South Wales and Victoria.[2][3][4][5]

References

  1. 1 2 "Pterostylis monticola". APNI. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Jones, David L. (1994). "New species of Orchidaceae from south-eastern Australia" (PDF). Muelleria. 8 (2): 189–190. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  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. pp. 305–306. ISBN 1877069124.
  4. 1 2 Jones, David L. "Pterostylis monticola". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  5. 1 2 Jeanes, Jeff. "Pterostylis monticola". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: vicflora. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  6. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
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