Pterostylis taurus

Pterostylis taurus, commonly known as the little bull orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Queensland. It has a rosette of leaves at the base and a single dark red to reddish brown and white flower that leans downwards.

Little bull orchid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:
P. taurus
Binomial name
Pterostylis taurus
Synonyms[2]
  • Taurantha taurus (D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.
  • Diplodium taurus (D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.

Description

Pterostylis taurus is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of green to bluish leaves, each leaf 10–25 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 5–15 mm (0.2–0.6 in) wide. Flowering plants have a similar rosette and a single dark red to reddish brown and white flower borne on a flowering spike 50–150 mm (2–6 in) high. The flowers are 25–30 mm (0.98–1.2 in) long, 10–13 mm (0.4–0.5 in) wide and lean downwards. The dorsal sepal and petals are joined and curve forward forming a hood called the "galea" over the column but the dorsal sepal is longer than the petals and has a pointed tip 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. There is a narrow U-shaped sinus between the lateral sepals which have very thin, erect, thread-like tips 15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) long. The labellum protrudes above the sinus and is 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide, bright reddish brown and curved with a deep notch on the end. Flowering occurs between May and July.[3]

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis taurus was first described in 1989 by David Jones and Mark Clements and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research.[1] The specific epithet (taurus) is a Latin word meaning "bull".[4]

Distribution and habitat

The little bull orchid grows in coastal scrub and forest between Paluma and the Mount Windsor National Park west of Daintree.[3]

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References
  1. "Pterostylis taurus". APNI. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  2. "Pterostylis taurus". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  3. Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 312. ISBN 978-1877069123.
  4. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 783.
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