Pterostylis alveata
Common names
mountain greenhood
Synonyms
Diplodium alveatum (Garnet) D.L.Jones et M.A.Clem.
Family
Orchidaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Orchids
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
DIPALV
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Non-resident Native – Coloniser | Qualifiers: DP, SO
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Non-resident Native – Coloniser | Qualifiers: SO
2009 | Non-resident Native – Coloniser | Qualifiers: SO
2004 | Non-resident Native – Coloniser
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island (one record from Hutt Valley in February 2006), South Island (northern North-west Nelson area). Also Australia.
Habitat
Known in New Zealand from open kānuka (Kunzea ericoides (A.Rich.) Joy Thomps.) shrubland where it grows on clay and sandy soils.
Detailed description
Terrestrial orchid of open sites on clay or sand. Flowering plants up to 300 mm tall. Stem scabrid. Rosette leaves 3–5, 20–60 × 10–15 mm, ovate, elliptic to obovate, often rather distantly spaced on basal portion of stem, sessile, margins entire. Upper stem leaves rather bractaete, lanceolate, erect, and strongly stem clasping. Flower 30 mm long, erect, dark green striped white, apex of galea flat or slightly decurved. Dorsal sepal acute to subacute, with a long, fine apiculus. Lateral sepals erect, loosely embracing galea leaving a distinct lateral gap, sinus broadly notched when veiwed from the front, protruding prominently in an abrupt curve when viewed from the side, free points 20 mm long, linear-tapered, reflexed behind galea; petals broad, subacute. Labellum 13–18 × 3 mm, narrowly ovate-lanceolate to obtuse, dark brown, erect, curved forwards near middle, subacute with distal ⅓ projecting from the sinus in the set position.
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
Similar taxa
Vegetative plants have some similarity to Pterostyliis alobula (Hatch) L.B.Moore, but the rosette leaves are much larger and more distantly spaced, further the stem is distinctly—though finely—scabrid. The stem leaves of P. alveata are also distinctly narrowly-lanceolate, bract-like and closely stem clasping rather than broadly lanceolate, and patent to recurved as is typical of P. alobua. The flowers of P. alveata are much greener than those of P. alobula, and the dorsal sepal has a long, wire like apiculus which often completely obscures the erect, dark brown, narrowly ovate-lacneolate to obtuse labellum.
Flowering
January–April
Flower colours
Green, White
Fruiting
March–June
Life cycle
Minute seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult—should not be removed from the wild.
Threats
Possibly the target of orchid collectors. However only recently (late 1990s) discovered in New Zealand and still poorly known. A 2006 find in Wellington suggests that either this species has been overlooked or it is still expanding its range. No serious threats are known.
Etymology
pterostylis: Winged column
Taxonomic notes
Jane et al. (2010) following a thorough rDNA (ITS) based analysis of the segregate genera erected for Pterostylis R.Br. by Szlachekto (2001) and Jones et al. (2002) found no support to continue their recognition. This view, in the process of being adopted by the Australian Plants Names Index, is followed here.
Attribution
Fact Prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (17 April 2007). Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970)
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.
References and further reading
Janes JK, Duretto MF. 2010. A new classification for subtribe Pterostylidinae (Orchidaceae), reaffirming Pterostylis in the broad sense. Australian Systematic Botany 23: 260–269. https://doi.org/10.1071/SB09052.
Jones DL, Clements MA, Molloy BPJ. 2002. A Synopsis of the Subtribe Pterostylidinae. Australian Orchid Research 4: 129–146.
Moore LB, Edgar E. 1970. Flora of New Zealand, Volume II. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Monocotyledones except Gramineae. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 354 p.
Szlachekto, D.L. 2001: Genera et Species Orchidalium 1. Polish Botanical Journal 46(1): 11–26.
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pterostylis alveata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pterostylis-alveata/ (Date website was queried)