Pterostylis oreophila

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Kiandra greenhood
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:
P. oreophila
Binomial name
Pterostylis oreophila

Pterostylis oreophila, commonly known as the Kiandra greenhood [2] or blue-tongued greenhood [3] is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. Flowering and non-flowering plants have three to five dark green, fleshy leaves and flowering plants have a single green and white, sickle-shaped flower with a deeply notched, bulging sinus between the lateral sepals.

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.

Sinus (botany)

In botany, a sinus is a space or indentation between two lobes or teeth, usually on a leaf. The term is also used in mycology. For example, one of the defining characteristics of North American species in the Morchella elata clade of morels is the presence of a sinus where the cap attaches to the stipe.

Contents

Description

Pterostylis oreophila is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber. Flowering plants have between three and five dark green, oblong to elliptic, fleshy leaves lying flat on the ground, each leaf 30–70 mm (1–3 in) long and 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) wide. A single flower 25–30 mm (0.98–1.2 in) long and 12–16 mm (0.5–0.6 in) wide is borne on a flowering stem 80–200 mm (3–8 in) high. The flowers are white with light green stripes. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column, the dorsal sepal about the same length as the petals and pointed. The lateral sepals are erect with a wide gap between them and the galea and there is a bulging sinus with a deep central notch between them. The tips of the lateral sepals are erect and 10–16 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long. The labellum is bluish, blunt, curved, 13–20 mm (0.5–0.8 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) and protrudes above the sinus. Flowering occurs from November to January. [2] [4] [5]

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 stem 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.

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis oreophila was first formally described in 1974 by Stephen Clemesha from a specimen collected near Kiandra and the description was published in The Orchadian. [1] The specific epithet (oreophila) is derived from the Ancient Greek words oreos meaning "mountain" or "hill" [6] :537 and philos meaning "beloved" or "dear". [6] :498

Kiandra, New South Wales Town in New South Wales, Australia

Kiandra is an abandoned gold mining town and the birthplace of Australian skiing. The town is situated in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council inside the Kosciuszko National Park. Its name is a corruption of Aboriginal 'Gianderra' for 'sharp stones for knives'. It was earlier called Gibson's Plains, named after Dr. Gibson, a settler in the district in 1839. For a century, Kiandra was Australia's highest town.

Botanical nomenclature is the formal, scientific naming of plants. It is related to, but distinct from taxonomy. Plant taxonomy is concerned with grouping and classifying plants; botanical nomenclature then provides names for the results of this process. The starting point for modern botanical nomenclature is Linnaeus' Species Plantarum of 1753. Botanical nomenclature is governed by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), which replaces the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN). Fossil plants are also covered by the code of nomenclature.

Ancient Greek Version of the Greek language used from roughly the 9th century BCE to the 6th century CE

The Ancient Greek language includes the forms of Greek used in Ancient Greece and the ancient world from around the 9th century BCE to the 6th century CE. It is often roughly divided into the Archaic period, Classical period, and Hellenistic period. It is antedated in the second millennium BCE by Mycenaean Greek and succeeded by medieval Greek.

Distribution and habitat

The Kiandra greenhood grows in moist soil, often near streams, in montane and subalpine forest and shrubland between the Brindabella Range in New South Wales and north-eastern Victoria. [4] [5]

Montane ecosystems ecosystems found in mountains

Montane ecosystems refers to any ecosystem found in mountains. These ecosystems are strongly affected by climate, which gets colder as elevation increases. They are stratified according to elevation. Dense forests are common at moderate elevations. However, as the elevation increases, the climate becomes harsher, and the plant community transitions to grasslands or tundra.

Brindabella Range mountain range located in Australia

The Brindabella Range, commonly called The Brindabellas, is a mountain range located in Australia, on a state and territory border of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The range rises to the west of Canberra, the capital city of Australia, and includes the Namadgi National Park in the ACT and the Bimberi Nature Reserve and Brindabella National Park in New South Wales. The Brindabellas are visible to the west of Canberra and form an important part of the city's landscape.

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 September 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.

Conservation

Pterostylis oreophila is listed as "critically endangered" (CR) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and under the New South Wales Government NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act. Only about 240 mature plants are known from four main populations. The main threats to the species are grazing and trampling by cattle, horses and pigs, horse trail riding and weed invasion, including by blackberry ( Rubus fruticosus ). [3] [7]

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Act of the Parliament of Australia, currently registered as C2016C00777

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and culturally significant places. Enacted on 17 July 2000, it established a range of processes to help protect and promote the recovery of threatened species and ecological communities, and preserve significant places from decline. The EPBC Act replaced the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975.

Rubus fruticosus L. is the ambiguous name of a European blackberry species in the genus Rubus in the rose family. The name has been interpreted in several ways:

Related Research Articles

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

Pterostylis alpina, commonly known as the mountain greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a rosette of fleshy leaves at the base and usually only one white flower with green markings and back-swept lateral sepals.

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

Pterostylis baptistii, commonly known as the king greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. Flowering plants have a rosette of stalked, dark green leaves and a single white flower with green and brown markings, and a wide gap between the petals and lateral sepals. It occurs mostly in New South Wales but is also found in coastal Queensland and north-eastern Victoria.

Pterostylis aenigma, commonly known as the enigmatic greenhood is a species of orchid endemic to Victoria. It has a rosette of leaves and a single green and white flower which leans forward and has a brownish point on the end. It is a rare orchid, occurring at only one site with fewer than 100 individual plants and is thought to be a natural hybrid between two species that grow nearby.

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

Pterostylis cucullata, commonly known as the leafy greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a rosette of fleshy leaves at its base and a single white, green and reddish-brown flower.

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

Pterostylis monticola, commonly known as the large mountain greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a rosette of fleshy leaves at the base of the plant and a single dark green and white flower. It grows in alpine and sub-alpine colonies.

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

Pterostylis scabrida, commonly known as the rough greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It has a rosette of leaves at the base of the plant and a single green and white flower on a rough stem. It is widespread and common in wet forests and is one of the few species of Pterostylis to grow in rainforest.

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

Pterostylis ventricosa is a recently described and critically endangered species of orchid endemic to a small area of New South Wales. 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 six tiny green, white and brown flowers.

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

Pterostylis aneba is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a recently described and poorly-known greenhood similar to Pterostylis alpina and P. monticola. It has a rosette of fleshy leaves at the base of the plant and a single green and white flower. It grows in alpine and sub-alpine habitats.

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

Pterostylis rubescens, commonly known as the blushing 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 and have up to eighteen tiny green, white and brownish flowers.

Pterostylis bicornis, commonly known as the horned greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves while flowering plants have a similar rosette at the base of a flowering spike with a one or two dark green, white and brown flowers. The flowers have distinctive long, thin horn-like tips.

Pterostylis dubia, commonly known as the blue-tongued greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It has a rosette of fleshy leaves at its base and a dark green and white flower with narrow petals and a dark blue-green labellum.

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

Pterostylis elegans, commonly known as the elegant greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves flat on the ground but flowering plants have a single translucent white and dark green flower with reddish-brown markings near the tip.

<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.

Pterostylis paludosa, commonly known as swamp greenhood, is a species of greenhood orchid endemic to New Zealand. As with similar orchids, plants in flower differ from those that are not. Those not in flower have a rosette of leaves on a short stalk but plants in flower lack a rosette and have a single flower with leaves on the flowering spike. This greenhood has a translucent white flower with pale to yellowish-green stripes.

Pterostylis procera, commonly known as the short-lipped greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to Queensland. It has a rosette of leaves and when flowering a single translucent white flower with green and reddish markings and a labellum which does not protrude through the lateral sepals.

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 subtilis, commonly known as the thin mountain greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a rosette of leaves and when flowering a single translucent white flower with dark green lines, a narrow, deeply notched sinus between the lateral sepals and a curved, protruding labellum.

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

Pterostylis torquata, commonly known as the collared greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. As with similar greenhoods, the flowering plants differ from those which are not flowering. The non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves flat on the ground but the flowering plants have a single flower with leaves on the flowering stem. This greenhood has a white flower with dark green and dark brown markings, although in some areas, the flowers lack the brown markings. The sinus between the lateral sepals is platform-like.

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.

Pterostylis vernalis, commonly known as the spring tiny greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. As with similar orchids, the flowering plants differ from those that are not currently flowering. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves at the base. Flowering plants lack that rosette, but have one or two rosettes on lateral growths. The flowers are green, brown and white. This greenhood is only known from a small area near Nowra.

References

  1. 1 2 "Pterostylis oreophila" . Retrieved 25 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. p. 308. ISBN   978-1877069123.
  3. 1 2 "Approved Conservation Advice for Pterostylis oreophila (Kiandra greenhood)" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  4. 1 2 Jeanes, Jeff. "Pterostylis oreophila". Royal Botanic Garden melbourne: vicflora. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  5. 1 2 Jones, David L. "Pterostylis oreophila". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney; plantnet. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  6. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  7. ↑ "Pterostylis oreophila - critically endangered species listing". Government of New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
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