Pterostylis crassa

Pterostylis crassa, commonly known as the coarse leafy greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria. As with similar greenhoods, plants in flower differ from those that are not. Those not in flower have a rosette of leaves on a short stalk but when flowering, plants have up to four relatively large, shiny dark green translucent flowers on a flowering stem with stem leaves.

Coarse leafy greenhood
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:
P. crassa
Binomial name
Pterostylis crassa
(D.L.Jones) G.N.Backh.[1]
Synonyms[1]

Bunochilus crassus D.L.Jones

Description

Pterostylis crassa, is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber. When not in flower, plants have a rosette of between three and six leaves, each leaf 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 4–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide on a stalk 35–55 mm (1–2 in) high. Plants in flower lack a rosette but have up to four flowers on a flowering spike 150–400 mm (6–20 in) high with between three and six linear to lance-shaped stem leaves that are 20–70 mm (0.8–3 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. The flowers are 15–19 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long, 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide. The dorsal sepal and petals are joined to form a hood called the "galea" over the column. The galea is transparent green with darker green lines and a brown or green, tapered tip. The lateral sepals turn downwards and are 12–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long, 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide and joined for about half their length. The labellum is 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long, about 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide and light brown with a dark stripe along its mid-line. Flowering occurs from September to October.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

The coarse leafy greenhood was first formally described in 2006 by David Jones and given the name Bunochilus crassus. The description was published in Australian Orchid Research.[5] In 2007, Gary Backhouse changed the name to Pterostylis crassa.[1] The specific epithet (crassa) is a Latin word meaning "thick", "fat" or "stout",[6] referring to the thick, fleshy flowers of this species.[4]

Distribution and habitat

Pterostylis crassa occurs in dry woodland and forest in the far north-east corner of Victoria.[2][3]

References
  1. "Pterostylis crassa". APNI. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  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. 315. ISBN 978-1877069123.
  3. Jeanes, Jeff. "Pterostylis crassa". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: vicflora. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  4. Jones, David L. (2006). "New taxa of Australasian Orchidaceae". Australian Orchid Research. 5: 127.
  5. "Bunochilus crassus". APNI. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  6. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 237.
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