Pterostylis tasmanica
Common name
plumed greenhood
Synonyms
Plumatichilos tasmanicum (D.L.Jones) D.L.Szlach.
Family
Orchidaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Orchids
Chromosome number
2n = c.50, 50-54
Current conservation status
The threat classification 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. Authors: By 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. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: EF, SO, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: EF, SO
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: EF, PD, SO
2004 | Serious Decline
Distribution
Indigenous to Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand known from The Three Kings Islands, Northland, Waikato, Wellington and Nelson.
Habitat
Scrub or forest margins, in damp mossy areas or drier more exposed sites. Often under gorse or manuka on clay hillsides.
Features
Tuberous, terrestrial spring to summer-green, glabrous orchid either solitary or growing in loose groups. Plants at flowering up to 180 mm tall. Stem wiry, smooth, enclosed in 3(-6) foliaceous leaves. Rosette leaves (4-)8(-18); petiole 6-15 mm long, distinctly winged; lamina 15-25 x 6-8 mm, yellow-green to dark green, broadly ovate, elliptical to elliptical-lanceolate, acute; cauline leaves 1-2, narrower and broadly sheathing (closely embracing the stem). Flower 1(-2), up to 25 mm long, clearly separated from subtending foliaceous bract; translucent green with dark green longitudinal and transverse veins, brownish towards galea apex and lateral sepals, galea erect in proximal 2/3 then obliquely erect or curved forwards nearly at 90 degrees. Dorsal sepal 18-23 x 12-13 mm, inflated at base and tapered to apex, with a short filiform apex 0.5-1.5 mm long; lateral sepals deflexed; conjoined part 7-9 x 3-4 mm, tapered to c.2 mm across at the base, with a thickened, dark green central pad, the margins incurved; free points 7-11 mm long, linear, usually brown, parallel or slightly divergent, apex subacute. Petals asymmetric, falcate 15-20 x 1.5-2.0 mm, dark green, narrowed in distal 1/2 to an attenuate, long-acuminate apex. Labellum prominent, protruding from sinus, arching, 13.0-15.0 x 0.5 mm, linear-filiform, clad for most of its length in long yellow plumose cilia, apex terminated by a dark brown, glabrous, somewhat irregular, spheroidal, knob-like callus 2.0 x 1.3 mm. Column erect, 12-14 mm long; column wings 4-5 mm long, basal lobe 1.5 x 1.0 mm, set at an angle of 20 degrees, inner margins incurved, sparsely white ciliate, apex obtuse; mid-section 3 mm long, transparent; apical lobe 1.8 mm long, shortly rostrate. Pollinia 2 mm long, yellow, oblong, mealy. Capsule asymmetrical, 1.2-1.6 x 6.0-8.0 mm, obovoid.
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
Similar taxa
None.
Flowering
October - December.
Flower colours
Green, Yellow
Fruiting
November - February
Propagation technique
Difficult - should not be removed from the wild. Strongly mycorrhizal this species will not flourish in cultivation and within a few years it exhausts itself and dies.
Threats
Lack of fires, competition from weeds (gorse) and over-collection by orchid enthusiasts. This species requires frequent disturbance, usually from fires to maintain an open habitat.
Etymology
pterostylis: Winged column
tasmanica: Named after Abel Janzoon Tasman (1603-1659) who in the 17th century was the first European to sight Van Dieman’s land (now known as Tasmania)
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 (though that study did treat those orchids referred to Plumatichilos as Pterostylis sect. Catochilus Benth.). This view in the process of being adopted by the Australian Plants Names Index is followed here. Accordingly Plumatichilos is again treated here as Pterostylis.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 7 April 2007: Description adapted from Jones (1994).
References and further reading
Janes, J.K.; Dorothy A. S.; Vaillancourt, R.E.; Duretto, M.F. 2010: A new classification for subtribe Pterostylidinae (Orchidaceae), reaffirming Pterostylis in the broad sense. Australian Systematic Botany 23: 260–269
Jones, D.L. 1994: New species of Orchidaceae from south-eastern Australia. Muelleria 8: 177-192.
Jones, D.L.; Clements, M.A.; Molloy, B.P.J 2002: A Synopsis of the Subtribe Pterostylidinae. Australian Orchid Research 4: 129-146.
Szlachekto, D.L. 2001: Genera et Species Orchidalium 1. Polish Botanical Journal 46: 11-26.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pterostylis tasmanica Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pterostylis-tasmanica/ (Date website was queried)