Pterostylis psammophila

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Two-bristle greenhood
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:P. psammophila
Binomial name
Pterostylis psammophila
D.L.Jones R.J.Bates [1]
Synonyms [1]

Pterostylis psammophila, commonly known as the two-bristle greenhood, 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 translucent green and white flowers with an insect-like labellum, but the flowers are only open for a few days.

Orchidaceae family of plants

The Orchidaceae are a diverse and widespread family of flowering plants, with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant, commonly known as the orchid family.

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.

South Australia State of Australia

South Australia is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of 983,482 square kilometres (379,725 sq mi), it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, and fifth largest by population. It has a total of 1.7 million people, and its population is the second most highly centralised in Australia, after Western Australia, with more than 77 percent of South Australians living in the capital, Adelaide, or its environs. Other population centres in the state are relatively small; Mount Gambier, the second largest centre, has a population of 28,684.

Contents

Description

Pterostylis psammophila is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of between six and sixteen overlapping leaves. The leaves are up to leaves are up to 50 mm (2 in) long and have a serrated edge. Flowering plants have a rosette at the base of the flowering stem but the leaves are usually withered by flowering time. The flowers are green or translucent white but are short-lived and borne on a flowering stem usually about 150 mm (6 in) high. The dorsal sepal and petals form a hood or "galea" over the column, the lateral sepals turn downwards and the labellum is insect-like with two long bristles on the "head" end. Flowering occurs between late August and October. [2]

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

The two-bristle greenhood was first formally described in 2007 by D.L.Jones who gave it the name Oligochaeochilus psammophilus. The description was published in The Orchadian from a specimen collected near Cockatoo Valley. [3] In 2008, Robert Bates changed the name to Pterostylis psammophila. [1] The specific epithet (psammophila) is derived from the Ancient Greek ψάμμος (psámmos), meaning “sand” [4] :678 and φίλος (phílos), meaning “dear one" or "friend”. [4] :355

David Lloyd Jones is an Australian horticultural botanist and the author of a large number of books and papers, especially on Australian orchids.

Cockatoo Valley Town in South Australia

Cockatoo Valley is a settlement in South Australia. At the 2006 census, Cockatoo Valley had a population of 479.

Botanical name scientific name for a plant (or alga or fungus) (ICNafp)

A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP). The code of nomenclature covers "all organisms traditionally treated as algae, fungi, or plants, whether fossil or non-fossil, including blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria), chytrids, oomycetes, slime moulds and photosynthetic protists with their taxonomically related non-photosynthetic groups ."

Distribution

Pterostylis psammophila is only known from two populations near Lyndoch. [2]

Lyndoch, South Australia Town in South Australia

Lyndoch is a town in Barossa Valley, located on the Barossa Valley Highway between Gawler and Tanunda, 58 km northeast of Adelaide. The town has an elevation of 175m and an average rainfall of 560.5mm. It is one of the oldest towns in South Australia.

Conservation

Pterostylis psammophila is classified as "critically endangered" Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The species is threatened by illegal collection, weed invasion and grazing by livestock and rabbits. [2]

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.

Related Research Articles

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

Pterostylis chlorogramma, commonly known as the green-striped leafy greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Victoria. Flowering plants have up to seven translucent green flowers with darker green stripes. The flowers have a green labellum with a darker stripe down the middle. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves on a short, thin stalk but flowering plants lack the rosette, instead having five to seven stem leaves.

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

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 jonesii</i> species of plant

Pterostylis jonesii, commonly known as the montane leafy greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to a small area of south-eastern Australia. Individual plants have either a rosette of three to six leaves or a flowering spike with up to eleven flowers and five to seven stem leaves. The flowers are translucent green with faint darker green lines and have a brownish-yellow labellum with a dark stripe.

Pterostylis brumalis, commonly known as the kauri greenhood or winter greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to New Zealand. There is a rosette of leaves at the base of both flowering and non-flowering plants. Flowering plants have a white flower with narrow green stripes and a dorsal sepal which bends forward strongly while the petals spread widely, giving the flower a cobra-like appearance.

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 frenchii, commonly known as the tuart rufous greenhood, or tuart 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 twelve white and green or white and brown flowers which lean forward and have a small, fleshy, 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 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 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 lepida, commonly known as the Halbury greenhood 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. Flowering plants have up to ten green flowers with brown and translucent striations and a small, insect-like labellum. It is only known from two small populations.

Pterostylis macrocalymma, commonly known as the large-hooded rufous greenhood or Murchison 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 ten or more white flowers with bold green or pale brown lines and a broad spoon-shaped, insect-like labellum.

Pterostylis macrosceles, commonly known as the slender rufous greenhood 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 between four and eight white flowers with green brown lines and small, insect-like labellum. It is distinguished from other Western Australian greenhoods by the unusually long thread-like tips on its sepals.

Pterostylis macrosepala is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales where it grows on the central-west slopes. 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 up to eight translucent green flowers with narrow, dark green stripes and up to ten stem leaves.

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.

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.

Pterostylis stenosepala, commonly known as the narrow-sepalled leafy greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. Flowering plants have up to six shiny, translucent green flowers with darker green stripes. The flowers have an insect-like labellum which is green with a dark green mound on its upper end. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves on a stalk, but flowering plants lack the rosette, instead having between four and eight stem leaves.

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.

Pterostylis xerophila, commonly known as the desert rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a relatively large rosette of leaves. Flowering plants also have up to eight translucent white, green and reddish-brown flowers with an insect-like labellum.

Pterostylis exserta, commonly known as the exserted rufous greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a large rosette of leaves flat on the ground and flowering plants have up to seven pale, transparent green and white flowers with brownish lines.

Pterostylis flavovirens, commonly known as the coastal banded greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae that is endemic to South Australia. As with other similar orchids, non-flowering plants differ from those in flower. Flowering plants have up to seven pale to translucent green flowers with darker green stripes. The flowers have an insect-like labellum which is yellowish green with a slightly darker green stripe along its centre. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves on a stalk, but flowering plants lack the rosette, instead having three to six stem leaves.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Pterostylis psammophila". APNI. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "Conservation advice - Pterostylis psammophila (Two-bristle greenhood)" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  3. "Oligochaetochilus psammophilus". APNI. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  4. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.