Pterostylis procera

Pterostylis procera, commonly known as the short-lipped greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to Queensland. It has a rosette of leaves and when flowering a single translucent white flower with green and reddish markings and a labellum which does not protrude through the lateral sepals.

Short-lipped greenhood
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:
P. procera
Binomial name
Pterostylis procera

Description

Pterostylis procera is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of dark green, wrinkled leaves. Each leaf is 6–60 mm (0.2–2 in) long and 8–20 mm (0.3–0.8 in) wide. When flowering, there is a single translucent white flower with green and reddish markings, 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) long and 18–25 mm (0.7–1 in) wide which is borne on a flowering spike 200–350 mm (8–10 in) high. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused to form a hood or "galea" over the column, the dorsal sepal slightly longer than the petals and sharply pointed. There is a wide gap at each side of the flower between the petals and lateral sepals. The lateral sepals are erect or turned backwards with a tapering tip 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) long and there is a broad bulging sinus with a small notch between them. The labellum does not protrude above the sinus. Flowering occurs from February to May.[2]

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis procera was first described in 1989 by David Jones and Mark Clements and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research from a specimen collected near Herberton.[3] The specific epithet (procera) is a Latin word meaning "tall", "slender" or "long".[4]

Distribution and habitat

The short-lipped greenhood grows with grasses and shrubs in sheltered gullies between Mount Finnigan and Paluma at altitudes above 700 m (2,300 ft).[2]

References
  1. "Pterostylis procera". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  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. 304. ISBN 978-1877069123.
  3. "Pterostylis procera". APNI. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  4. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 410.
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