The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Pterostylis areolata

Etymology

Pterostylis: winged column
areolata: netted, with a network pattern between the veins

Common Name(s)

Greenhood

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Pterostylis areolata Petrie

Family

Orchidaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

PTEARE

Structural Class

Orchids

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. North and South Islands. In the North Island known from the Tararua Ranges and possibly the Ruahines. In the South Island widespread, mainly east of the main divide but also in Nelson and Fiordland.

Habitat

Lowland to subalpine. In short or tall tussock grassland, grey scrub, on the margins of wetlands and in open forest.

Features

Terrestrial, tuberous, glabrous, spring to summer-green perennial herb, either solitary in forming small patches of 3-8 plants through vegetative extension. Plant at flowering 70-250 mm tall. Stem erect, smooth, dark green to reddish green, internodes < leaves. Leaves 2-4, with entire margins, shape changing from base to top of stem; lamina 30-90 x 10-25 mm, dark green to yellow-green, the lowest and those of non-flowering plants, broadly elliptic, elliptic, to obovate, apex obtuse to subacute, tapering to a reddish-green broadly winged petiole; uppermost leaves shorter, acute to acuminate; not overtopping the flower. Flower solitary, tipping forwards, large, dark green, green striped with white toward the back of the galea. Ovary erect. Dorsal sepal 30-35 mm tall, mostly erect then sharply horizontal to deflexed, apex shortly acuminate without caudae; lateral sepals diverging at a narrow angle, apices acuminate to shortly caudate, rarely exceeding galea, usually narrowly spreading, decurved. Petals slightly shorter than dorsal sepal, very broad, apex acute. Labellum basally red, apex often distinctly darker; lamina elliptic, slightly arched, toward a narrowly obtuse, flat or pinched in apex. Column mostly taller than labellum; stigma elongate-ovate with a prominent truncate apex.

Similar Taxa

Close to P. australis Hook.f. from which it differs by the fewer, consistently wider elliptic to obovate leaves which do not overtop the galea (rather than leaves which grade from the elliptic (rarely broadly elliptic) to almost linear-lanceolate and may or may not overtop the flower); and by the acuminate, only slightly caudate lateral sepals, and elongate-ovate uniformly red stigma. Unlike some southern populations of P. australis, the leaves of P. areolata are never finely denticulate.

Flowering

October - November

Flower Colours

Green,White

Fruiting

November - February

Propagation Technique

Difficult - should not be removed from the wild. Basic orchid mix consists of 2 parts medium coarse sand, ideally clean river sand; 2 parts soil, humus or leaf-mould; 1 part weathered sawdust or rotting wood; 1 part granulated bark. For Pterostylis shade of 50% and pots kept evenly moist.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 44

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 31 Oct 2014