Pterostylis hildae

Pterostylis hildae, commonly known as the rainforest greenhood, is a species of orchid found in eastern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves and when flowering a rosette at the base of a flowering stem with a single green, white and brown flower. It is found in wet forests, including rainforest in New South Wales and Queensland.

Rainforest greenhood
Pterostylis hildae in Bongil Bongil National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:
P. hildae
Binomial name
Pterostylis hildae

Description

Pterostylis hildae is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of between two and four elliptic leaves, each leaf 20–80 mm (0.8–3 in) long and 8–25 mm (0.3–1 in) wide. The leaves have a distinct petiole and sometimes a wavy edge. When flowering, there is a single green, white and brown flower 23–27 mm (0.9–1 in) long and 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) wide which is borne on a flowering spike 80–200 mm (3–8 in) high. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused to form a hood or "galea" over the column and the petals and dorsal sepal have a short point on their tips which end at or near horizontal. There is a wide gap at each side of the flower between the petals and lateral sepals. The lateral sepals are erect with a tapering tip 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long no higher than the galea and there is a curved sinus with a deep notch between them. The labellum is 11–13 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long, about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide, curved and projects through the sinus. Flowering occurs from March to October.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis hildae was first described in 1937 by William Nicholls and the description was published in The Victorian Naturalist from a specimen collected on Tamborine Mountain.[4][5] The specific epithet (hildae) honours Hilda Geissmann for her contributions to nature study in Queensland.[5]

Distribution and habitat

The rainforest greenhood is widespread and common in wet forest and rainforest between the Atherton Tableland in Queensland and Wollongong in New South Wales.[2][3][6]

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References
  1. "Pterostylis hildae". 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. Jones, David L. "Pterostylis hildae". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  4. "Pterostylis hildae". APNI. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  5. Nicholls, William Henry (1937). "A new species of the genus Pterostylis R.Br". The Victorian Naturalist. 10 (2): 39–40. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  6. "Pterostylis hildae". Lucid keys:Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
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