Pterostylis pedoglossa

Prawn greenhood
Pterostylis pedoglossa growing in Ben Boyd National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species: P. pedoglossa
Binomial name
Pterostylis pedoglossa
Fitzg.[1]
Synonyms[1]

Pterostylis pedoglossa, commonly known as the prawn greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. There is a rosette of leaves at the base and flowering plants have a single white flower with green stripes, sometimes with a brownish tinge on the tip, and a long, thread-like labellum.

Description

Pterostylis pedoglossa is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of egg-shaped, greyish-green leaves, each leaf 5-25 mm long and 4-20 mm wide. Flowering plants have a single flower 15-20 mm long and 5-6 mm wide borne on a spike 60-150 mm high. The flowers are white with green stripes, sometimes brown near the tip. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column, the galea flat or slightly turned downwards on the tip. The dorsal sepal has a thread-like tip 10-25 mm long. The lateral sepals are held closely against the galea, have an erect, thread-like tip 15-30 mm long and a V-shaped sinus between their bases. The labellum is about 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, greenish, thick, straight and not visible from outside the flower. Flowering occurs from March to June.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis pedoglossa was first formally described in 1877 by Robert D. FitzGerald from a specimen collected near Long Bay. The description was published in Fitzgerald's book, Australian Orchids[1] The specific epithet (pedoglossa) is derived from the Ancient Greek words pedos meaning "oar" or "rudder"[5]:566 and glossa meaning "tongue".[5]:370

Distribution and habitat

The prawn greenhood grows in coastal and near-coastal heath between Sydney and Melbourne and in Tasmania.[2][3][4][6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Pterostylis pedoglossa". APNI. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  2. 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. 287. ISBN 1877069124.
  3. 1 2 Jones, David L. "Pterostylis pedoglossa". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  4. 1 2 Jeanes, Jeff. "Pterostylis pedoglossa". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: vicflora. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  5. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  6. ↑ Jones, David L. (1998). "Contributions to Tasmanian Orchidology". Australian Orchid Research. 3: 148.
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