Pterostylis chocolatina (D.L.Jones) G.N.Backh. APNI* Synonyms: Bunochilus chocolatinus D.L.Jones APNI*
Description: Terrestrial herb.
Flowering and non-flowering plants dimorphic. Sterile plants consisteing of a rosette only; rosette on a slender stalk 3–10 cm tall; leaves three to six, narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate-lanceolate, rarely ovate, 10–50 mm long, 4–8 mm wide, dark green above, smooth and paler beneath; petioles very short or absent; margins entire or wrinkled; apex acute.
Flowering plants 15–80 cm tall. Scape slender, bearing up to 20 flowers. Cauline leaves five to seven, sessile, sheathing at the base; lanceolate, 25–80 mm long by 5–10 mm wide, spreading obliquely erect, dark green above, paler beneath; margins flat; apex subacute to acuminate. Floral bracts obovate, 8–25 mm long by 4–7 mm wide; apex acuminate. Pedicels slender, 4–8 mm long, straight. Ovary narrow obovoid, 6–8 mm long, dark green smooth to puncticulate. Flowers 12–15 mm long, transluent green with indistinct darker green stripes, shiny, porrect to erect; galea irregularly curved throughout, decurved suddenly near the apex; petals without flanges which block off the base of the galea. Dorsal sepal ovate-oblong, 13–17 mm long by 10–12 mm wide, inflated in the proximal half then tapered to the apex; apical point c. 1 mm long, decurved, often warm brown. Lateral sepals narroly elliptic, 10–13 mm long by 6–8 mm wide, deflexed, recurved just below the middle then curved forward slightly near the apex; inner surface papillose; sinus narrow; lobules widely divergent; free points 4–5 mm apart; distal margins inrolled, often warm brown. Petals narrowly oblong-oblanceolate 12–14 mm long by 3–3.5 mm wide; central ridge prominent, dark green; proximal posterior flange c. 1 mm across, poorly developed, obtuse; distal posterior flange hardly developed; anterior flange c. 2.5 mm wide, transparent, outer margins entire. Labellum hinged on a basal ligulate strap c. 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide; lamina oblong, often shallowly constricted medially, 5.5–6.5 mm long, c. 3 mm wide, tawny, brownish, or wellowish; basal mound and central callus dark brown to black; ventral surface covered with beaded siliceous cells, numerous acicular cells to 0.5 mm long to the anterior and posterior of the mound; basal mound c. 1.5 mm high, prominent, erect, obtuse; lateral lobes well developed, 4–4.5 mm long, strongly ridged in the distal half; mid-lobe c. 1 mm long; apex strongly upcurved, notched for 0.3 mm; lobes divergent.
Flowering: June–November
Distribution and occurrence: Southern New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Tasmania and South Australia. Grows in wet sclerophyll forests, moist areas of open forest and coastal scrubs.
NSW subdivisions: CT
Text by Matt A.M. Renner based on Jones (2006).
Taxon concept:
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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