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Pterostylis echinulata

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hairy-leafed snail orchid
Pterostylis echinulata growing in Beverley

Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Genus: Pterostylis
Species:
P. echinulata
Binomial name
Pterostylis echinulata

Pterostylis echinulata, commonly known as the hairy-leafed snail orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a compact rosette of leaves flat on the ground and flowering plants have a single pale yellowish-green flower.

rosette and hairy stem

Description

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Pterostylis echinulata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a compact rosette of leaves 5–20 mm (0.2–0.8 in) in diameter. Flowering plants have a single pale yellowish-green flower 9–11 mm (0.4–0.4 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide on a densely hairy flowering stem 40–80 mm (2–3 in) high. There is a single stem leaf 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide on the flowering stem. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a slightly inflated hood or "galea" over the column. The lateral sepals are held close to the galea almost closing the front of the flower and have erect, thread-like tips 14–17 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long. The labellum is broad but not visible from outside the flower. Flowering occurs in June and July.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

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Pterostylis echinulata was first formally described in 2014 by David Jones and Christopher French from a specimen collected near Kulin and the description was published in Australian Orchid Review. The species had previously been known as Pterostylis sp. 'hairy leaf'.[4] The specific epithet (echinulata) is a Latin word meaning "with very small prickles, alluding to the impression imparted by the siliceous cells present on the leaves, scape and ovary of this species".[4]

Distribution and habitat

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The hairy-leafed snail orchid grows under small shrubs in open woodland in the Mallee biogeographic region.[2][5]

Conservation

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Pterostylis echinulata is classified as "Priority One" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife,[5] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Pterostylis echinulata". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. ^ a b Brown, Andrew; Dixon, Kingsley; French, Christopher; Brockman, Garry (2013). Field guide to the orchids of Western Australia : the definitive guide to the native orchids of Western Australia. Simon Nevill Publications. p. 360. ISBN 9780980348149.
  3. ^ Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 411. ISBN 9780646562322.
  4. ^ a b "Pterostylis echinulata". APNI. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Pterostylis echinulata". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  6. ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 12 May 2020.