Pterostylis auriculata
Common names
greenhood
Synonyms
None
Family
Orchidaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
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.
PTEAUR
Chromosome number
2n = 44
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Data Deficient
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Kapiti Island), South Island (south-east Otago (Catlins Coast) and Southland), Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands (recorded in November 2008 from one site on Rangihaute / Rangiauria / Pitt Island).
Habitat
Coastal to montane.(up to 521 m a.s.l. on Kapiti Island). Favouring permanently damp, heavily shaded, sites in dune forest in the Catlins, south-eastern South Island, and under dense kamahi (Pterophylla racemosa) and māpou (Myrsine australis) on Kapiti Island. On the Chatham Islands it grows with Pterostylis banksii and P. silvicultrix in mixed matipo (Myrsine chathamica), ribbonwood (Plagianthus regius subsp. chathamicus), tarahinau (Dracophyllum arboreum) forest.
Detailed description
Terrestrial, glabrous, tuberous summer-green perennial. Plant erect, all parts distinctly glossy, up to 380 mm tall. Stems bright-red to reddish green. Leaves 4, all cauline, of more or less equal length, usually overtopping the galea, 125–180 × 10–12 mm, pale-green to dark green, lanceolate, distinctly acuminate, arching with apices drooping, widest near sessile sheathing base, midrib prominent, reddish. Flower solitary, narrowly erect, green with a reddish tint. Ovary slender, 10 mm long, reddish, linear-ellipsoid. Dorsal sepal 15–18 mm long, narrowly ovate, shortly acuminate. Lateral sepals erect, narrowly divergent, sinus large, apices caudate, 8–9 mm long, overtopping galea, spreading, narrow and more or less falcate caudae. Petals narrowly ovate, shortly acuminate. Labellum 10 × 2.3–4.6 mm, dark-red, linear-oblong, distinctly arched and tapering toward the truncate or slightly retuse to emarginate apex, midrib prominent, keeled below, deeply depressed above, somewhat twisted, with 4 flexuous lateral veins on each side; basal callus wide, shortly curved, and coarsely fimbriate. Column slender about as long as labellum, wings prolonged upwards as subulate apices nearly 2.3 mm long, narrow auriculate; auricles 4.5 mm long, with the apices closely and finely ciliate.
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
Similar taxa
Pterostylis banksii has narrow, more upright leaves and larger flowers; P. australis has short sepals and broad upright leaves; both lack the tapered labellum. The various forms included in P. montana are smaller plants, with oblong apically twisted labella. Distinguished from P. silvicultrix by longer, narrower, arching leaves; longer dorsal and lateral sepals; lateral sepals which are not twisted or turned forwards, and straight rather than twisted labellum.
Flowering
October–November
Flower colours
Green, Red/Pink
Fruiting
December
Propagation technique
Difficult—should not be removed from the wild.
Threats
Seemingly uncommon and probably biologically sparse, but known habitats are in protected areas.
Etymology
pterostylis: Winged column
auriculata: Small-eared
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 14 April 2007: Description modified from Colenso (1889) supplemented with observations made from fresh material (Kapiti and Chatham Islands)
References and further reading
Colenso W. 1889: A description of some newly-discovered phaenogamic plants being a further contribution toward making-known the botany of New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 22: 459–493.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pterostylis auriculata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pterostylis-auriculata/ (Date website was queried)