Species

Pterostylis venosa

Etymology

Pterostylis: winged column
venosa: veined

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 venosa Col.

Family

Orchidaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

PTEVEN

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.

Structural Class

Orchids

Synonyms

Pterostylis confertifolia Allan, Pterostylis trifolia Colenso

Distribution

Endemic. North, South and Stewart Islands

Habitat

Mostly montane extending to lowlands in the southern part of its range. Usually in beech (Nothofagaceae) forest where it often grows in deep, damp drifts of moss or leaf litter in heavy shade or well lighted situations.

Features

Terrestrial, tuberous, glabrous, spring to summer-green perennial herb, forming small patches of 3-many plants through vegetative extension. Plant at flowering (30-)50-100 mm tall. Stem erect, smooth, dark green, to reddish green, usually immersed within a loose basal rosette of leaves until the fruiting ovary elongates the stem. Leaves erect to somewhat spreading, 2-4, margins entire, though usually undulose in the basal third, overtopping or at least equally the flower; lamina 30-60 x 10-25 mm, dark green to yellow green, broadly oval, rarely orbicular, apex obtuse to broadly subacute, base gradually narrowing into a broadly winged sheathing petiole. Flower solitary, erect, dark green to yellow green, white striped. Ovary mostly erect. Dorsal sepal 15 mm tall, erect then horizontal; apex acute to very shortly acuminate; lateral sepals diverging at a narrow angle, initially erect, apex acuminate to shortly caudate, scarcely overtopping galea. Petals almost as long as dorsal sepal, broad almost to apex. Labellum narrowly triangular, arcuate, protruding. apex subacute, inner surface copiously invested with short retrorse hairs imparting a furry appearance. Column shorter than labellum; stigma narrow elliptic, not upturned.

Similar Taxa

Very close to P. humilis from which it differs by the very narrow stigma which is not upturned or prominently heart-shaped, and by the abundant short retrorse hairs on the labellum surface.

Flowering

October - February

Flower Colours

Green,Yellow

Fruiting

December - April

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

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 14 April 2007: Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970).

References and further reading

Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. II. Government Printer, Wellington.

This page last updated on 17 Feb 2015