Family: Orchidaceae
Pterostylis foliata
Citation:
Hook. f., Fl. Nov. Zel. 1:249 (1853).
Synonymy: P. vereenae R. Rogers, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 38:360 (1914).
Common name: Slender green-hood.
Description:
Rather slender, glabrous, 10-30 cm high; leaves mostly crowded at the base, usually sessile but sometimes shortly petiolate, ovate-lanceolate or elliptical; a very large leaf-like bract near the base of the stem and a similar one subtending the pedicel, both broadly lanceolate and sheathing at their bases, 2-4 cm long.
Flower 1, rather small, green; galea c. 20 mm long, erect, incurved, the apices of the dorsal sepal and petals about equal in length, shortly acuminate; lateral sepals (lower lip) erect, sinus acute, without an indexed tooth, produced into fine filiform points, embracing the galea and exceeding the latter in length by c. 8 mm; labellum on a movable claw, oblong to linear-oblong with a very blunt and moderately recurved tip protruding from the sinus; lamina c. 10mm long; upper surface concave toward the base, and traversed by a raised longitudinal ridge with corresponding narrow furrow beneath; basal appendage linear-stout, curved, 3-fid at the end; thickly and shortly penicillate; column a little shorter than the labellum, wings hatchet-shaped, upper lobe toothed, lower lobe blunt, ciliate; stigma occupying the middle third of the column, its upper angle toothed.
Published illustration:
Gray (1971) Victorian native orchids 2:55; Pocock (1972) Ground orchids of Australia, pl. 115 as P. furcata; Gentry & Foreman (1979) Native orchids of South Australia, unnumbered plate.
Distribution:
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Occurs in small groups in sheltered, shaded spots in open forest often with Eucalyptus fasciculosa and colonising Pinus radiata plantations. Widespread but uncommon in the Adelaide hills.
S.Aust.: SL, KI, SE. N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. New Zealand.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: Sept. — Oct.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
In exposed places P. foliata may form a basal rosette and it was plants of this form which Rogers described as P. vereenae.
Author:
Not yet available
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