Pterostylis woollsii

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Long-tailed rustyhood
Pterostylis woollsii.jpg
Pterostylis woollsii growing near Whroo in Victoria
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:
P. woollsii
Binomial name
Pterostylis woollsii
Synonyms [2]

Oligochaetochilus woollsii(Fitzg.) Szlach.

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.

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.

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.

Contents

Description

Pterostylis woollsii, is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber. It has a rosette of between six and ten lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves at the base of the flowering spike, each leaf 15–35 mm (0.6–1 in) long and 8–14 mm (0.3–0.6 in) wide. The leaves are often withered by the time of flowering. Up to six translucent flowers with green and reddish tinges and 35–60 mm (1–2 in) long, 12–14 mm (0.5–0.6 in) wide are borne on a flowering spike 200–450 mm (8–20 in) tall. Each flower is carried on the end of a long, thin stalk. Two to five stem leaves are wrapped around the flowering spike. The dorsal sepal and petals are joined to form a hood called the "galea" over the column with the dorsal sepal having a thread-like tip 15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) long often bent upwards. The lateral sepals are turned downwards and are wider than the galea. They are shallowly dished, densely hairy on their outer edges and suddenly taper to a thread-like tip, 90–130 mm (4–5 in). The labellum is dark reddish-brown, thin and insect-like, 10–11 mm (0.4–0.4 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide and hairy. Flowering occurs from October to December. [3] [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 woollsii was first formally described in 1876 by Robert D. FitzGerald and the description was published in his book Australian Orchids . [1] Fitzgerald gave the specific epithet (woollsii) "after my friend, Dr. Woolls, who has contributed so largely to the knowledge of Botany in New South Wales, and who kindly sent me specimens discovered by him growing in the neighbourhood of Richmond". [6]

Robert D. FitzGerald surveyor, ornithologist, botanist and poet

Robert David FitzGerald was an Irish-Australian surveyor, ornithologist, botanist and poet.

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.

Richmond, New South Wales Town in New South Wales, Australia

Richmond is a town in New South Wales, in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. It is located at a latitude of 33° 35' 54" South and a longitude of 150°45' 04" east, 19 metres above sea level on the alluvial Hawkesbury River flats, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. It is about 65 km by road from Sydney.

Distribution and habitat

The long-tailed rustyhood has a widespread but disjunct distribution in New South Wales where it grows in forest in grassy or rocky places. It also occurs in Queensland as far north as Carnarvon Gorge but in Victoria it is only known from the Rushworth area. [3] [4] [5]

Disjunct distribution Ecology

In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but considerably separated from each other geographically. The causes are varied and might demonstrate either the expansion or contraction of a species range.

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.

Queensland North-east state of Australia

Queensland is the second-largest and third-most populous state in the Commonwealth of Australia. Situated in the north-east of the country, it is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. To its north is the Torres Strait, with Papua New Guinea located less than 200 km across it from the mainland. The state is the world's sixth-largest sub-national entity, with an area of 1,852,642 square kilometres (715,309 sq mi).

Conservation

Pterostylis woollsii is classified as "endangered" in Victoria under the Victorian Government Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 . [4]

Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988

The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 is an act of the Victorian government designed to protect species, genetic material and habitats, to prevent extinction and allow maximum genetic diversity within the Australian state of Victoria for perpetuity. It was the first Australian legislation to deal with such issues.

Related Research Articles

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Pterostylis coccina, commonly known as the scarlet greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. 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 spike. In this species, the rosette leaves are relatively large and dark green, and the flowers are white, and bluish-green or red. It grows in New South Wales and north-eastern Victoria.

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

Pterostylis biseta, commonly known as the bristled 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 seven relatively large, translucent flowers with green and brown marking with a brown to green insect-like labellum with bristly hairs. It occurs in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria although in the latter state it has been separated into three species and is also under review in New South Wales.

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

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

Pterostylis lingua, commonly known as the large-lipped 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 ten dark reddish-brown flowers with translucent "windows" and a blackish, insect-like labellum.

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

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 plant

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 plant

Pterostylis squamata, commonly known as the southern rustyhood or ruddyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. Flowering plants have up to ten translucent green flowers with reddish-brown markings and a hairy, insect-like labellum. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of four to eight egg-shaped leaves. This species is very similar to Pterostylis rufa which has a narrower labellum and other minor differences.

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

Pterostylis hamata, commonly known as the southern hooked rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves and between two and twelve transparent flowers with green and brown markings, a thick, brown, insect-like labellum and dished lateral sepals.

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

Pterostylis boormanii, commonly known as the Sikh's whiskers, baggy britches, or Boorroans green-hood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a rosette of leaves and up to seven dark reddish-brown flowers with translucent "windows" and a thick, brown, bristly, insect-like labellum.

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

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 ciliata, commonly known as the hairy rufous greenhood, tall rusthood or hairy rustyhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a relatively large rosette of leaves at its base and up to eight or more green and brown flowers which lean forward and have a small, fleshy, insect-like labellum covered with hairs.

Pterostylis excelsa, commonly known as the tall rustyhood, or dry land green-hood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It has a rosette of leaves and when flowering, up to twenty green or brown flowers which lean forward and have a thick, fleshy, partly hairy, 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 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 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 plant

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 rufa</i> species of plant

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.

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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Pterostylis woollsii". APNI. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  2. "Pterostylis woollsii". 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 Jeanes, Jeff. "Pterostylis woollsii". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: vicflora. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  5. 1 2 Jones, David L. "Pterostylis woollsii". Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  6. Olsen, Penny (2013). A botanical life : Robert David Fitzgerald. Canberra: National Library of Australia. p. 34. ISBN   9780642277718.