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.
| Rainforest greenhood | |
|---|---|
| |
| In Bongil Bongil National Park | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Cranichideae |
| Genus: | Pterostylis |
| Species: | P. hildae
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pterostylis hildae | |
Description edit
Pterostylis hildae is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of between two and four elliptic leaves, each leaf 20–80 mm (0.8–3 in) long and 8–25 mm (0.3–1 in) wide. The leaves have a distinct petiole and sometimes a wavy edge. When flowering, there is a single green, white and brown flower 23–27 mm (0.9–1 in) long and 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) wide which is borne on a flowering spike 80–200 mm (3–8 in) high. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused to form a hood or "galea" over the column and the petals and dorsal sepal have a short point on their tips which end at or near horizontal. There is a wide gap at each side of the flower between the petals and lateral sepals. The lateral sepals are erect with a tapering tip 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long no higher than the galea and there is a curved sinus with a deep notch between them. The labellum is 11–13 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long, about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide, curved and projects through the sinus. Flowering occurs from March to October.[2][3]
Taxonomy and naming edit
Pterostylis hildae was first described in 1937 by William Nicholls and the description was published in The Victorian Naturalist from a specimen collected on Tamborine Mountain.[4][5] The specific epithet (hildae) honours Hilda Geissmann for her contributions to nature study in Queensland.[5]
Distribution and habitat edit
The rainforest greenhood is widespread and common in wet forest and rainforest between the Atherton Tableland in Queensland and Wollongong in New South Wales.[2][3][6]
References edit
- ^ "Pterostylis hildae". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ a b Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 304. ISBN 978-1877069123.
- ^ a b Jones, David L. "Pterostylis hildae". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ^ "Pterostylis hildae". APNI. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ^ a b Nicholls, William Henry (1937). "A new species of the genus Pterostylis R.Br". The Victorian Naturalist. 10 (2): 39–40. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ^ D.L.Jones; T.Hopley; S.M.Duffy (2010). "Factsheet - Pterostylis hildae". Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids. Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
External links edit
Media related to Pterostylis hildae at Wikimedia Commons
