''Pterostylis banksii'', commonly known as greenhood or tutukiwi, is a species of orchid endemic to New Zealand. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves. Flowering plants have leaves on the flowering stem, some of which reach above the single relatively large, green flower with translucent white stripes. It is the most common, widespread and largest New Zealand greenhood and is found on both of the main islands.

Description

''Pterostylis banksii'' is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous,

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

with an underground tuber and which often grows in colonies. When not flowering there is a rosette of between four and six oblong to broad lance-shaped leaves. Flowering plants have four to six linear to lance-shaped leaves arranged on the flowering stem and varying in shape depending on their position. The leaves are long, wide, the uppermost leaf or leaves taller than the top of the flower. The flowering stem is tall and there is usually only a single green flower with translucent white stripes. The dorsal sepal and

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

. The dorsal sepal is tall with the top nearly horizontal and tapering to a long narrow tip up to long. The lateral sepals taper to narrow tips up to long and are erect or turned backwards. The labellum is curved, has a reddish tip and extends above the sinus between the lateral sepals. Flowering occurs from September to December.

Taxonomy and naming

Tutukiwi was first formally described in 1832 by Allan Cunningham who gave it the name ''Pterostylis macrophylla'' but he did not publish his manuscript. When Robert Brown was shown Cunningham's drawing of the plant, he recognised it as the same as a specimen in

Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the 1766 natural-history expedition to Newfoundland and Labrador. He took part in Captain James ...

's collection from

James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

's voyage on the

Endeavour Endeavour or endeavor may refer to: People Fictional characters * Endeavour Morse, central character of the ''Inspector Morse'' novels by Colin Dexter * Endeavor, the hero name for the character Enji Todoroki from the anime series ''My Hero A ...

. With Cunningham's consent, the plant was named ''Pterostylis banksii'' in honour of Banks.

Distribution and habitat

''Pterostylis banksii'' grows in forest and shrubland, including of introduced species. It occurs on both the North and

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

s and on

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

and

Stewart Island Stewart Island ( mi, Rakiura, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a total land ar ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7256918 banksii Endemic orchids of New Zealand Plants described in 1832