PlantNET Home DONATE TODAY | PlantNET Home | Search NSW Flora | Contact Us  
FloraOnline
Introduction
Plant Name Search
Index Search
Spatial Search
Identification Keys
Classification
Glossary
WeedAlert
Telopea Journal
Other Data Sources
NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE Printable Page

Pterostylis clivicola (D.L.Jones) G.N.Backh.
Family Orchidaceae
Pterostylis clivicola (D.L.Jones) G.N.Backh. APNI*

Synonyms: Hymenochilus clivicola D.L.Jones APNI*

Description: Terrestrial herb.

Leaves 5–8; lamina ovate to elliptic, 6–20 mm long by 3–8 mm wide, green, dull; margins entire; apex acute to apiculate.

Scape 5–16 cm tall, 1–3 mm diameter, 3–14 flowered. Sterile bracts 4–6, closely sheathing, ovate to elliptic, 5–17 mm long by 3–6 mm wide, thin-textured, acuminate. Fertile bracts similar, closely sheathing. Pedicels 1–4 mm long, straight, slender. Ovaries oblong-elliptid, 3–4 mm long, c. 1.5 mm wide. Flowers porrect, crowded, 6.5–9 mm long by 3–3.5 mm wide, green with faint darker green stripes. Dorsal sepal 7–8 mm long by 3–4 mm wide, porrect from the ovary at the base, shallowly curved for most of its length, abruptly decurved near the apex. Lateral sepals deflexed, saccate, dorsally curved, when flattened 4–5 mm long by 5–6 mm wide; points subacute, 3–4 mm apart. Petals asymmetrical, more or less ovate, 5–6 mm long and c. 3–3.5 mm wide; dorsal margin strongly thickened, dark green, a dorsal gibbosity above the middle; lamina translucent green with darker veins; ventral margin with beaded siliceous cells. Labellum irritable, on a ligulate claw c. 1 mm long by 0.8 mm wide, green with a dark greenish-black appendage. Labellum lamina elliptical, c. 2.0–2.2 mm long by 2.0 mm wide, membranous; apex broadly rounded, emarginate. Basal appendage recurved at right angles, dark greenish-black, oblong, c. 1.8 mm long by 1.3 mm wide, the apex swollen and recurved; central ridge thick, raised above the margins, ending below the apex of the appendage. Callus a thickened, tapered, channelled medial ridge.


Flowering: October–December

Distribution and occurrence: Southern New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Victoria at elevations between 750–950 m.

Grows on slopes and ridges covered with montane grassland and herbfield, also in snowgum woodland.
NSW subdivisions: ST
Other Australian states: Vic.
AVH map***

This is essentially an alpine morph of Pterostylis bicolor distinguished by its smaller stature, smaller and fewer leaves, shorter scape, and more densely crowded flowers, and the smaller elliptical labellum with a shorter very thick, blackish green appendage.

Text by Matt A.M. Renner (9 Dec 2019) based on Jones (2008)
Taxon concept: Jones DL (2008) Two new species of Hymenochilus (Orchidaceae) from south-eastern Australia. The Orchadian 15: 492–497.


APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
  Privacy | Copyright | Disclaimer | About PlantNET | Cite PlantNET