Pterostylis pedoglossa

Prawn greenhood
Pterostylis pedoglossa growing in Beowa National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Orchidoideae
Tribe:	Cranichideae
Genus:	Pterostylis
Species:	P. pedoglossa
Binomial name
Pterostylis pedoglossa Fitzg. [1]
Synonyms [1]
Crangonorchis pedoglossa(Fitzg.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. Diplodium pedoglossum(Fitzg.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.

Pterostylis pedoglossa, commonly known as the prawn greenhood, is a species of orchid that is 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.

Description

Pterostylis pedoglossa is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of egg-shaped, greyish-green leaves, each leaf 5–25 mm long and 4–20 mm wide. Flowering plants have a single flower 15–20 mm long and 5–6 mm wide borne on a spike 60–150 mm high. The flowers are white with green stripes, sometimes brown near the tip. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column, the galea flat or slightly turned downwards on the tip. The dorsal sepal has a thread-like tip 10–25 mm long. The lateral sepals are held closely against the galea, have an erect, thread-like tip 15–30 mm long and a V-shaped sinus between their bases. The labellum is about 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, greenish, thick, straight and not visible from outside the flower. Flowering occurs from March to June. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis pedoglossa was first formally described in 1877 by Robert D. FitzGerald from a specimen collected near Long Bay. The description was published in Fitzgerald's book, Australian Orchids . ^[1]

Distribution and habitat

The prawn greenhood grows in coastal and near-coastal heath between Sydney and Melbourne. It is also found in Tasmania. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

References

1. "Pterostylis pedoglossa". APNI. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
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. 287. ISBN   978-1877069123.
3. Jones, David L. "Pterostylis pedoglossa". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
4. Jeanes, Jeff. "Pterostylis pedoglossa". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: vicflora. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
5. Jones, David L. (1998). "Contributions to Tasmanian Orchidology". Australian Orchid Research. 3: 148.