Pterostylis nana

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Dwarf snail orchid
Pterostylis nana.jpg
Pterostylis nana growing in the Dandenong Ranges
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:
P. nana
Binomial name
Pterostylis nana
Synonyms [1]

Pterostylis nana, commonly known as the dwarf snail orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Australia. It has a rosette of leaves at it base and a single narrow, bright green and white flower with a small labellum. There is uncertainty about its classification - some sources include South Australia and Western Australia in its range.

Endemism Ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location or habitat

Endemism is the ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation, country or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. The extreme opposite of endemism is cosmopolitan distribution. An alternative term for a species that is endemic is precinctive, which applies to species that are restricted to a defined geographical area.

Australia Country in Oceania

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east. The population of 25 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Rosette (botany) circular arrangement of leaves or of structures resembling leaves

In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves or of structures resembling leaves.

Contents

Description

Pterostylis nana is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaves, each leaf 5–20 mm long and 3–10 mm wide. A single bright green and white flower, 10–15 mm long and 4–5 mm wide is borne on a stalk 50–150 mm high. The dorsal sepal is erect, more or less flat on top and fused to the petals forming a hood or "galea" over the column. The lateral sepals are erect, in close contact with the galea and taper to a thread-like tip about 20 mm long. The sinus between the lateral sepals is more or less flat and has a dark green central area. The labellum is 3–5 mm long, about 2 mm wide, straight, blunt and hidden inside the flower. Flowering occurs from July to October. [2] [3] [4]

Perennial plant Plant that lives for more than two years

A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. Some sources cite perennial plants being plants that live more than three years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widely used to distinguish plants with little or no woody growth from trees and shrubs, which are also technically perennials.

Deciduous trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally

In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous (/dɪˈsɪdʒuəs/) means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, after flowering; and to the shedding of ripe fruit.

Herbaceous plant Plant which has no persistent woody stem above ground

Herbaceous plants in botany, frequently shortened to herbs, are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. Herb has other meanings in cooking, medicine, and other fields. Herbaceous plants are those plants that do not have woody stems, they include many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials, they include both forbs and graminoids.

The State Herbarium of South Australia lists this species as being present in that state and in Western Australia. The Royal Botanic Garden Melbourne reports that the taxonomy of the species is "under investigation". [4] [5]

State Herbarium of South Australia other organization in Adelaide, Australia

The State Herbarium of South Australia is located in Adelaide, South Australia. It is one of several State and Commonwealth herbaria in Australia. The Department for Environment and Water is the state agency which is responsible for the Herbarium, but the Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium is charged with its establishment and maintenance.

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis nana was first formally described in 1985 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen . [1]

Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773) Scottish botanist

Robert Brown FRSE FRS FLS MWS was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope. His contributions include one of the earliest detailed descriptions of the cell nucleus and cytoplasmic streaming; the observation of Brownian motion; early work on plant pollination and fertilisation, including being the first to recognise the fundamental difference between gymnosperms and angiosperms; and some of the earliest studies in palynology. He also made numerous contributions to plant taxonomy, notably erecting a number of plant families that are still accepted today; and numerous Australian plant genera and species, the fruit of his exploration of that continent with Matthew Flinders.

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen is a flora of Australia written by botanist Robert Brown and published in 1810. Often referred to as Prodromus Flora Novae Hollandiae, or by its standard botanical abbreviation Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland., it was the first attempt at a survey of the Australian flora. It described over 2040 species, over half of which were published for the first time.

Distribution and habitat

The dwarf snail orchid grows in a range of habitats from coastal heath to forest, mostly in sheltered sites. It occurs in New South Wales south from Taree and is widespread in Victoria and Tasmania [2] [3] [4] [6]

New South Wales State of Australia

New South Wales is a state on the east coast of Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Tasman Sea to the east. The Australian Capital Territory is an enclave within the state. New South Wales' state capital is Sydney, which is also Australia's most populous city. In December 2018, the population of New South Wales was over 8 million, making it Australia's most populous state. Just under two-thirds of the state's population, 5.1 million, live in the Greater Sydney area. Inhabitants of New South Wales are referred to as New South Welshmen.

Victoria (Australia) State in Australia

Victoria is a state in south-eastern Australia. Victoria is Australia's smallest mainland state and its second-most populous state overall, making it the most densely populated state overall. Most of its population lives concentrated in the area surrounding Port Phillip Bay, which includes the metropolitan area of its state capital and largest city, Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. Victoria is bordered by Bass Strait and Tasmania to the south, New South Wales to the north, the Tasman Sea, to the east, and South Australia to the west.

Tasmania island state of Australia

Tasmania is an island state of Australia. It is located 240 km (150 mi) to the south of the Australian mainland, separated by Bass Strait. The state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-largest island in the world, and the surrounding 334 islands. The state has a population of around 531,500 as of December 2018. Just over forty percent of the population resides in the Greater Hobart precinct, which forms the metropolitan area of the state capital and largest city, Hobart.

Related Research Articles

<i>Pterostylis coccina</i> species of plant

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<i>Pterostylis curta</i> species of plant

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<i>Pterostylis atrans</i> species of plant

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<i>Pterostylis biseta</i> species of plant

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<i>Pterostylis concinna</i> species of plant

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<i>Pterostylis dolichochila</i> species of plant

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<i>Pterostylis parviflora</i> species of plant

Pterostylis parviflora, commonly known as the tiny greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. As with similar orchids, the flowering plants differ from those which are not flowering. The non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves but the flowering plants lack a rosette at the base but have up to eight tiny green, white and brown flowers.

<i>Pterostylis pedoglossa</i> species of plant

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.

<i>Pterostylis robusta</i> species of plant

Pterostylis robusta, commonly known as the sharp-leaf greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. As with similar orchids, the flowering plants differ from those which are not flowering. The non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves but the flowering plants have a single flower with leaves on the flowering spike. This greenhood has a relatively large green, white and reddish-brown flower with reddish-brown stripes with the labellum just visible inside the flower.

<i>Pterostylis striata</i> species of plant

Pterostylis striata, commonly known as the mainland striped greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern mainland Australia. As with similar orchids, the flowering plants differ from those which are not flowering. The non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves but the flowering plants have a single flower with leaves on the flowering spike. This greenhood has a white flower with prominent dark green stripes and a brown-tipped dorsal sepal with a thread-like tip. Mainland striped greenhoods were formerly described as Pterostylis alata but that species is now recognised as a Tasmanian endemic.

<i>Pterostylis collina</i> species of plant

Pterostylis collina, commonly known as the shiny bull orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a rosette of leaves and when flowering, a single reddish-brown, green and white flower with a curved top.

<i>Pterostylis hildae</i> species of plant

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.

<i>Pterostylis longicurva</i> species of plant

Pterostylis longicurva, commonly known as the long-tongued greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. As with similar greenhoods, plants in flower differ from those that are not. Those not in flower have a rosette of leaves lying flat on the ground, but plants in flower have a single flower with leaves on the flowering stem. This species has a white and green flower with brown markings and a long, curved, brown labellum.

Pterostylis riparia, commonly known as the streamside greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a rosette of dark green, fleshy leaves. Flowering plants have a single, relatively large green, white and reddish-brown flower with a deeply notched sinus between hairy lateral sepals.

Pterostylis timothyi, commonly known as the brittle snail orchid or fawn snail orchid is a species of orchid which is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a rosette of leaves at its base, and when flowering, a single green, fawn and white with erect lateral sepals.

Pterostylis uliginosa, commonly known as the marsh greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. As with similar orchids, the flowering plants differ from those which are not flowering. The non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves but the flowering plants lack a rosette at the base but have up to three rosettes on lateral growths and up to seven small green and white flowers. This species only grows in wet places, usually where there is free water. There are usually only two or three flowers per plant, and only one or two are open at a time.

<i>Pterostylis echinulata</i> species of plant

Pterostylis echinulata, commonly known as the hairy-leafed snail orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a compact rosette of leaves flat on the ground and flowering plants have a single pale yellowish-green flower.

Pterostylis erubescens, commonly known as the red sepaled snail orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves flat on the ground but flowering plants lack a rosette and have a single large green flower which turns reddish-brown as it ages, and has leaves on the flowering spike.

<i>Pterostylis karri</i> species of plant

Pterostylis karri, commonly known as the karri snail orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants usually have a small rosette of leaves and flowering plants have a single green and white flower with unusually long, erect lateral sepals. Like some similar greenhoods, it often forms dense colonies.

Pterostylis lortensis, commonly known as the Lort River snail orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves flat on the ground but flowering plants usually lack a rosette and have a flowering stem with leaves and a single pale green and white flower with narrow, club-like lateral sepals.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Pterostylis nana". APNI. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  2. 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. pp. 298–299. ISBN   978-1877069123.
  3. 1 2 Jones, David L. "Pterostylis nana". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Jeanes, Jeff. "Pterostylis nana". Royal Botanic Garden, Melbourne: vicflora. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  5. ↑ "Pterostylis nana". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  6. ↑ Jones, David L. (1998). "Contributions to Tasmanian Orchidology". Australian Orchid Research. 3: 146–147.
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