Pterostylis aciculiformis

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Needle-point rustyhood
Pterostylis aciculiformis.jpg
Pterostylis aciculiformis growing in the Grampians National Park
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:
P. aciculiformis
Binomial name
Pterostylis aciculiformis
Synonyms [1]
  • Oligochaetochilus aciculiformis(Nicholls) Szlach.
  • Pterostylis aciculiformisD.L.Jones nom. inval.
  • Pterostylis pusilla var. aciculiformisNicholls
  • Pterostylis rufa subsp. aciculiformis(Nicholls) Blackmore & Clemesha
  • Pterostylis sp. aff. aciculiformis (Stawell)

Pterostylis aciculiformis, commonly known as the needle-point rustyhood [2] or slender ruddyhood, [3] is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves and up to ten green and brown flowers with a brown, insect-like labellum. It is widespread and locally common in New South Wales and Victoria, growing mostly in drier forests.

Contents

Description

Pterostylis aciculiformis, is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber. It has a rosette of between five and twelve leaves at the base of the flowering spike, each leaf 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 6–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) wide. Up to twelve green and brown flowers 13–16 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long and 5 mm (0.2 in) wide are borne on a flowering spike 100–250 mm (4–10 in) tall. Three to six stem leaves are wrapped around the flowering spike. The dorsal sepal and petals form a hood over the column with the dorsal sepal having an upturned point about 3 mm (0.1 in) long. The lateral sepals turn downwards, curve forwards and are narrower than the hood. They have thread-like tips 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and are more or less parallel to each other. The labellum is brown, fleshy and insect-like, about 4 mm (0.2 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The "head" end is swollen, there are 6 to 12 white bristles on each side and many short bristles on the "tail" end. Flowering occurs from September to December. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

The needle-point rustyhood was first formally described in 1936 by William Nicholls who gave it the name Pterostylis pusilla var. aciculiformis and published the description in The Victorian Naturalist . [6] In 1989, Mark Clements and David Jones raised it to species status. [7] The specific epithet (aciculiformis) is derived from the Latin word acicula meaning "a small pin" [8] :67 and the suffix -formis. [8] :46

Distribution and habitat

Pterostylis aciculiformis occurs in disjunct populations south from Wellington in New South Wales and across northern Victoria, growing mostly in drier forests in stony soils. It may also occur in far eastern South Australia. [2] [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Pterostylis basaltica</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis basaltica, commonly known as the basalt rustyhood or basalt greenhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria. It has a rosette of leaves and eight to fifteen translucent white flowers with green and brown markings and a brownish, insect-like labellum. It is a rare species only known from a small area and is endangered.

<i>Pterostylis biseta</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis biseta, commonly known as the bristled rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves at its base and up to seven relatively large, translucent flowers with green and brown marking with a brown to green insect-like labellum with bristly hairs. It occurs in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria although in the latter state it has been separated into three species and is also under review in New South Wales.

<i>Pterostylis cheraphila</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis cheraphila, commonly known as the floodplain rustyhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to a small area in Victoria. It has a rosette of leaves near its base and up to seven dark brown to blackish flowers with a dark brown, insect-like labellum. It is only found in the Little Desert area.

<i>Pterostylis despectans</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis despectans, commonly known as the lowly rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves at its base and up to six flowers on long stalks, branching off a short flowering stem. The flowers have an insect-like labellum and often touch the ground.

<i>Pterostylis cobarensis</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis cobarensis, commonly known as the inland rustyhood or Cobar rustyhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Australia. It has a rosette of leaves and between two and ten hairy, green and brown flowers with translucent white "windows" and a fleshy, insect-like labellum. It grows in inland areas of eastern Australia.

<i>Pterostylis lingua</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis lingua, commonly known as the large-lipped rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves and up to ten dark reddish-brown flowers with translucent "windows" and a blackish, insect-like labellum.

<i>Pterostylis maxima</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis maxima, commonly known as the large rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves at its base and up to eight relatively large, dark brown flowers with transparent "windows" and a thin, dark insect-like labellum.

<i>Pterostylis planulata</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis planulata, commonly known as the flat rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria. It has a rosette of leaves at its base and up to seven translucent flowers with green stripes. The flowers have a thin, dark green, insect-like labellum.

<i>Pterostylis setifera</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis setifera, commonly known as the bristly rustyhood or sikh's whiskers, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves and four to ten translucent white, green and brown flowers which have an insect-like labellum with long, bristly hairs.

<i>Pterostylis squamata</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis squamata, commonly known as the southern rustyhood or ruddyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. Flowering plants have up to ten translucent green flowers with reddish-brown markings and a hairy, insect-like labellum. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of four to eight egg-shaped leaves. This species is very similar to Pterostylis rufa which has a narrower labellum and other minor differences.

<i>Pterostylis woollsii</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis woollsii, commonly known as the long-tailed rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves at its base and up to six transparent flowers which have unusually long tips on their lateral sepals and a reddish-brown, insect-like labellum.

<i>Pterostylis hamata</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis hamata, commonly known as the southern hooked rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves and between two and twelve transparent flowers with green and brown markings, a thick, brown, insect-like labellum and dished lateral sepals.

<i>Pterostylis calceolus</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis calceolus, commonly known as the Bungonia rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It has a rosette of overlapping leaves and between two and seven reddish-brown flowers with transparent "windows" and a fleshy brown, insect-like labellum. It is only known from near Bungonia.

Pterostylis commutata, commonly known as the midland rustyhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It has a rosette of leaves near its base and up to five translucent white and green flowers with a hairy, insect-like labellum. It is only found in a small area near Tunbridge and Ross.

Pterostylis excelsa, commonly known as the tall rustyhood, or dry land green-hood is a flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It has a rosette of leaves and when flowering, up to twenty green or brown flowers which lean forward and have a thick, fleshy, partly hairy, insect-like labellum.

Pterostylis ferruginea, commonly known as the Bangham rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the border area between South Australia and Victoria. It has a rosette of leaves and when flowering, up to ten upright, dark green and translucent white flowers which have an insect-like labellum.

Pterostylis insectifera, commonly known as the insect-lipped rufous greenhood, or leaden rustyhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a relatively large rosette of leaves. Flowering plants have a similar rosette and up to eight or more flowers which have long, stiffly-held lateral sepals and a protruding, insect-like labellum.

Pterostylis mitchellii, commonly known as Mitchell's rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves and flowering plants have up to fifteen flowers which have wide flanges on the petals and an insect-like labellum with a white "head".

Pterostylis petrosa, commonly known as the Riverina rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It has a rosette of leaves at its base and up to eight dark brown flowers with transparent "windows", long spreading tips on the lateral sepals and a thin, brown, insect-like labellum.

<i>Pterostylis pusilla</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis pusilla, commonly known as the tiny rustyhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves and up to nine relatively small green and reddish-brown flowers with translucent white "windows" and a dark brown, insect-like labellum.

References

  1. 1 2 "Pterostylis aciculiformis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 322–323. ISBN   978-1877069123.
  3. 1 2 3 Jones, David L. "Pterostylis aciculiformis". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  4. 1 2 Jeanes, Jeff. "Pterostylis aciculiformis". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: vicflora. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  5. Copeland, Lachlan M.; Backhouse, Gary N. (2022). Guide to Native Orchids of NSW and ACT. Collingwood: CSIRO Publishing. pp. 361–362. ISBN   9781486313686.
  6. "Pterostylis pusilla var. aciculiformis". APNI. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  7. "Pterostylis aciculiformis". APNI. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  8. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.