Pterostylis arenicola

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Sandhill rustyhood
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. arenicola
Binomial name
Pterostylis arenicola
Synonyms [2]

Oligochaetochilus arenicola(M.A.Clem. & J.Stewart) Szlach.

Contents

Pterostylis arenicola, commonly known as the sandhill rustyhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It has a rosette of leaves near its base and up to ten reddish-brown and white flowers with a dark brown, insect-like labellum. Its distribution is now restricted to areas around Lake Alexandrina.

Description

Pterostylis arenicola is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and which only occurs as solitary plants. It has a rosette of between eight and twelve leaves at the base of the flowering spike. The leaves are 15–30 mm (0.6–1 in) long and 6–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) wide and wither as the flowers develop. Up to ten dark brown and translucent white flowers 30–35 mm (1.2–1.4 in) long and 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) wide are borne on a flowering spike which elongates to 100–250 mm (4–10 in) tall as the flowers develop. The dorsal sepal and petals form a hood called the "galea" over the column with the dorsal sepal having a narrow tip 9–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long. The lateral sepals are much wider than the galea, have densely hairy edges and taper suddenly to narrow, thread-like tips 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long which spread apart from each other. The labellum is dark brown, fleshy and insect-like, 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The centre of the labellum has a channel and the edges have bristly hairs up to 3 mm (0.1 in). Flowering occurs from August to October. [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis arenicola was first formally described in 1989 by Mark Clements and Joyce Stewart from a specimen collected south of Tailem Bend and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research. [1] [6] The specific epithet (arenicola) is derived from the Latin words arena meaning "sand" [7] :678 and -cola meaning "dweller". [7] :217

Distribution and habitat

The sandhill rustyhood is only known from populations at Grange and West Lakes in the Adelaide metropolitan area, “between Tailem Bend and Wellington” and an area “south-east of Langhorne Creek and near the lower Murray and Murray Lakes.” It is locally common in sandy soil on coloured sand dunes in mallee and Callitris woodland with an understorey of shrub, heath, sedge and grass. [3] [4] [5]

There are records from Victoria but they may not be of this species. [8] [9]

Ecology

Success has been achieved in germinating seeds of P. arenicola in vitro by inoculating them with a mychorrizal fungus. [9]

Conservation

Pterostylis arenicola is listed as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 . The main threats to the species are weed invasion, grazing and soil disturbance and inappropriate fire regimes. [4]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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<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 squamata</i> Species of orchid

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<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 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 chaetophora, commonly known as the Taree rustyhood, tall rusthood or ruddy hood 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 twelve reddish-brown flowers with translucent "windows" and a fleshy, reddish-brown, bristly, insect-like labellum.

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 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.

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

Pterostylis gibbosa, commonly known as the Illawarra rustyhood, or Illawarra greenhood, 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 nine bright green flowers with translucent "windows", relatively wide lateral sepals with short-pointed tips and a dark, fleshy, insect-like labellum.

Pterostylis ovata, commonly known as the Gawler Range rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves and flowering plants have up to six flowers which have transparent flanges on the petals and a striped, insect-like labellum.

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 praetermissa</i> Species of orchid

Pterostylis praetermissa, commonly known as the Mount Kaputar rustyhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It has a rosette of leaves and up to nine relatively small greenish and reddish-brown flowers with transparent "windows" and a reddish-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.

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

Pterostylis roensis, commonly known as the painted rufous greenhood or dark 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 also have up to six green or brown to blackish flowers with translucent white panels and a dark brown, fleshy, insect-like labellum.

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

Pterostylis rufa, commonly known as the red 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 fifteen bright reddish-brown flowers with translucent white "windows" and a dark brown, insect-like labellum. It occurs from southern Queensland to south-eastern South Australia.

Pterostylis saxicola, commonly known as the Sydney plains rustyhood, or Sydney plains greenhood, 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 ten reddish-brown flowers with translucent "windows", relatively wide lateral sepals with short-pointed tips and a dark brown, fleshy, insect-like labellum.

References

  1. 1 2 "Pterostylis arenicola". APNI. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  2. "Pterostylis arenicola". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  3. 1 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. 327. ISBN   978-1877069123.
  4. 1 2 3 "Approved conservation advice to Pterostylis arenicola" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Threatened species profile - Pterostylis arenicola" (PDF). South Australian Government Department for Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  6. Clements, Mark Alwin; Stewart, Joyce (1989). "Catalogue of Australian Orchidaceae". Australian Orchid Research. 1: 120.
  7. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  8. Jeanes, Jeff. "Pterostylis arenicola". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: vicflora. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  9. 1 2 Jusaitis, Manfred; Sorensen, Birgitte (1983). "Germination of Pterostylis arenicola - an endangered greenhood orchid from South Australia". The Orchadian. 11 (1): 18–22.