Pterostylis oblonga D.L.Jones APNI* Description: Terrestrial herb.
Leaves 3–6 in a basal rosette; lamina oblong 20–60 mm long by 10–20 mm wide, dark green, margins smooth or crinkled; petioles 5–20 mm long.
Scape 8–22 cm tall, think, smooth. Flower solitary, erect 14–17 mm long by 5–9 mm wide, greenish brown and white with darker brown tips. Galea apex obliquely erect. Dorsal sepal 18–21 mm long by 10–13 mm wide, longer than the petals, acuminate. Lateral sepals with a wide lateral gap; synsepalum 17–21 mm long by 5–6 mm wide, shallowly curved when viewed from the side; sinus deeply notched; free points 16–22 mm long, erect, tapered, parallel or divergent. Petals oblong, falcate, 11–13 mm long, 2.0–2.5 mm wide, actue. Labellum just visible when set; lamina oblong, 5–6 mm long by c. 2 mm wide, brown, margins parallel, blunt; basal appendage 2.3 mm long, penicillate.
Flowering: July–September
Distribution and occurrence: New South Wales between Coffs Harbour and Nowra, between 5–100 m elevation. Under shrubs and fern in coastal froests in well drained soils.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, ST
Pterostylis oblonga is similar to P. erecta, which differs in its larger dark-brown flowers with a longer, narrower, erect galea and longer labellum (Jones 2006). Flowers on the type specimen of P. erecta in Queensland Herbarium (BRI-AQ0311955) are 12 mm and 13 mm long along their longest axis, which is equivalent in length to verified specimens of P. oblonga including an isotype held in the National Herbarium of New South Wales, which are 12–17 mm on their longest axis.
Text by Matt A.M. Renner (13 Dec 2019) based on Jones (2006)
Taxon concept: Jones DL (2006) Miscellaneous new species of Australian Orchidaceae. Australian Orchid Research 5: 45–111.
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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