Pterostylis pedoglossa

Pterostylis pedoglossa, commonly known as the prawn greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. There is a rosette of leaves at the base and flowering plants have a single white flower with green stripes, sometimes with a brownish tinge on the tip, and a long, thread-like labellum.

Prawn greenhood
Pterostylis pedoglossa growing in Ben Boyd National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:
P. pedoglossa
Binomial name
Pterostylis pedoglossa
Synonyms[1]

Description

Pterostylis pedoglossa is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of egg-shaped, greyish-green leaves, each leaf 5–25 mm long and 4–20 mm wide. Flowering plants have a single flower 15–20 mm long and 5–6 mm wide borne on a spike 60–150 mm high. The flowers are white with green stripes, sometimes brown near the tip. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column, the galea flat or slightly turned downwards on the tip. The dorsal sepal has a thread-like tip 10–25 mm long. The lateral sepals are held closely against the galea, have an erect, thread-like tip 15–30 mm long and a V-shaped sinus between their bases. The labellum is about 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, greenish, thick, straight and not visible from outside the flower. Flowering occurs from March to June.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis pedoglossa was first formally described in 1877 by Robert D. FitzGerald from a specimen collected near Long Bay. The description was published in Fitzgerald's book, Australian Orchids[1]

Distribution and habitat

The prawn greenhood grows in coastal and near-coastal heath between Sydney and Melbourne and in Tasmania.[2][3][4][5]

References
  1. "Pterostylis pedoglossa". APNI. Retrieved 23 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. 287. ISBN 978-1877069123.
  3. Jones, David L. "Pterostylis pedoglossa". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  4. Jeanes, Jeff. "Pterostylis pedoglossa". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: vicflora. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  5. Jones, David L. (1998). "Contributions to Tasmanian Orchidology". Australian Orchid Research. 3: 148.
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