Pterostylis oreophila

Pterostylis oreophila, commonly known as the Kiandra greenhood[2] or blue-tongued greenhood[3] is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. Flowering and non-flowering plants have three to five dark green, fleshy leaves and flowering plants have a single green and white, sickle-shaped flower with a deeply notched, bulging sinus between the lateral sepals.

Kiandra greenhood
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:
P. oreophila
Binomial name
Pterostylis oreophila
Clemesha[1]

Description

Pterostylis oreophila is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber. Flowering plants have between three and five dark green, oblong to elliptic, fleshy leaves lying flat on the ground, each leaf 30–70 mm (1–3 in) long and 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) wide. A single flower 25–30 mm (0.98–1.2 in) long and 12–16 mm (0.5–0.6 in) wide is borne on a flowering stem 80–200 mm (3–8 in) high. The flowers are white with light green stripes. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column, the dorsal sepal about the same length as the petals and pointed. The lateral sepals are erect with a wide gap between them and the galea and there is a bulging sinus with a deep central notch between them. The tips of the lateral sepals are erect and 10–16 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long. The labellum is bluish, blunt, curved, 13–20 mm (0.5–0.8 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) and protrudes above the sinus. Flowering occurs from November to January.[2][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis oreophila was first formally described in 1974 by Stephen Clemesha from a specimen collected near Kiandra and the description was published in The Orchadian.[1] The specific epithet (oreophila) is derived from the Ancient Greek words oros meaning "mountain" or "hill"[6]:537 and philos meaning "beloved" or "dear".[6]:498

Distribution and habitat

The Kiandra greenhood grows in moist soil, often near streams, in montane and subalpine forest and shrubland between the Brindabella Range in New South Wales and north-eastern Victoria.[4][5]

Conservation

Pterostylis oreophila is listed as "critically endangered" (CR) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and under the New South Wales Government NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act. Only about 240 mature plants are known from four main populations. The main threats to the species are grazing and trampling by cattle, horses and pigs, horse trail riding and weed invasion, including by blackberry (Rubus fruticosus).[3][7]

References
  1. "Pterostylis oreophila". Retrieved 25 May 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. 308. ISBN 978-1877069123.
  3. "Approved Conservation Advice for Pterostylis oreophila (Kiandra greenhood)" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  4. Jeanes, Jeff. "Pterostylis oreophila". Royal Botanic Garden melbourne: vicflora. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  5. Jones, David L. "Pterostylis oreophila". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney; plantnet. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  6. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  7. "Pterostylis oreophila - critically endangered species listing". Government of New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
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