Pterostylis daintreana, commonly known as Daintree's greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. The non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves on short stalks but flowering plants have up to ten flowers with rosettes on the side of the flowering spike. The flowers are translucent white with dark green lines and long, downcurved lateral sepals.
| Daintree's greenhood | |
|---|---|
| |
| Pterostylis daintreana in Vincentia | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Cranichideae |
| Genus: | Pterostylis |
| Species: | P. daintreana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pterostylis daintreana | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Description
editPterostylis daintreana is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and when not flowering, a rosette of between three and ten egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaves 6–24 mm (0.2–0.9 in) long and 4–13 mm (0.2–0.5 in) wide. Flowering plants have a one or two rosettes on the side of the flowering stem 100–300 mm (4–10 in) high with between three and ten flowers and three to five stem leaves. The flowers are 14–17 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide and translucent white with dark green markings. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column. The dorsal sepal has a thread-like tip 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. The lateral sepals are joined near their bases then curve downwards with narrow ends 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long and parallel to each other. The labellum is about 4 mm (0.2 in) long, 2 mm (0.08 in) wide and dark brown with two large side lobes. Flowering occurs from January to July.[3][4]
Taxonomy and naming
editPterostylis daintreana was first formally described in 1873 by George Bentham, assisted by Ferdinand von Mueller, from a specimen collected by Richard Daintree near Sydney. The description was published in Flora Australiensis.[1][5] The specific epithet (daintreana) honours the collector of the type specimen.[5]
Distribution and habitat
editDaintree's greenhood grows on the coast and tablelands of New South Wales and southern Queensland among small shrubs or on mossy rocks.[3][4]
References
edit- ^ a b "Pterostylis daintreana". APNI. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- ^ "Pterostylis longipetala". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ a b Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 334–335. ISBN 978-1877069123.
- ^ a b Jones, David L. "Pterostylis daintreana". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- ^ a b Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1873). Flora Australiensis. Vol. 6. London: Lovell Reeve & Co. pp. 360–361. Retrieved 25 June 2017.