''Pterostylis bryophila'', commonly known as the Hindmarsh Valley greenhood, is a species of

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. As with similar greenhoods, plants in flower differ from those that are not. In this species, plants not in flower have a rosette of leaves lying flat on the ground, but those in flower have a single small, shiny, bright green and white flower with a protruding, platform-like

sinus Sinus may refer to: Anatomy * Sinus (anatomy), a sac or cavity in any organ or tissue ** Paranasal sinuses, air cavities in the cranial bones, especially those near the nose, including: *** Maxillary sinus, is the largest of the paranasal sinuses, ...

between the

lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may refer to: Healthcare *Lateral (anatomy), an anatomical direction *Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle *Lateral release (surgery), a surgical procedure on the side of a kneecap Phonetics *Lateral cons ...

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

Description

''Pterostylis bryophila'' is a terrestrial,

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

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 Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

and when not in flower, a rosette of between three and five leaves, each leaf long and wide. When in flower, plants have a single flower long and wide on a stem tall with four or five stem leaves. The flowers are shiny, bright green and white and curve forwards. The

dorsal Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to: * Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism * Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage * Dorsal co ...

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 pointed and longer than the petals. The lateral sepals are held closely against the galea, have erect thread-like tips long and a flat, protruding, U-shaped sinus between their bases. The labellum is long, about wide, curved, dark brown and just visible above the sinus. Flowering occurs from April to July.

Taxonomy and naming

''Pterostylis bryophila'' was first formally described in 1997 by David Jones from a specimen collected near the

Hindmarsh Valley Reservoir __NOTOC__ Hindmarsh Valley Reservoir is a reservoir in the Australian state of South Australia located in the gazetted locality of Hindmarsh Valley about north of the municipal seat in Victor Harbor. The dam consists of a gravity dam of a h ...

. The description was published in ''The Orchadian''.

Distribution and habitat

The Hindmarsh Valley greenhood grows in moist, shady places in grassy woodland and forest. It is only known from two locations apart on the

Fleurieu Peninsula The Fleurieu Peninsula () is a peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia located south of the state capital of Adelaide. History Before British colonisation of South Australia, the western side of the peninsula was occupied by the K ...

Conservation

''Pterostylis bryophila'' is listed as "critically endangered" (CR) under the

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cultu ...

(EPBC Act). The main threats to the species are habitat disturbance, grazing by kangaroos and rabbits (''

Oryctolagus cuniculus The European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula (including Spain, Portugal, and southwestern France), western France, and the northern Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa. It has b ...

''), inappropriate fire regimes and weed invasion.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15491663

bryophila ''Bryophila'' is a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae. The genus was described by Treitschke in 1825. Taxonomy Robert W. Poole (1989) considered ''Bryophila'' to be a synonym of ''Cryphia'' Hübner, 1818. Species Subgenus ''Scythobrya'' *'' ...

Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of South Australia Plants described in 1997