''Pterostylis torquata'', commonly known as the collared greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. As with similar greenhoods, the flowering plants differ from those which are not flowering. The non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves flat on the ground but the flowering plants have a single flower with leaves on the flowering stem. This greenhood has a white flower with dark green and dark brown markings, although in some areas, the flowers lack the brown markings. The sinus between the lateral sepals is platform-like.

Description

''Pterostylis torquata'' 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 when not flowering, a rosette of dark green leaves lying flat on the ground. Each leaf is long and wide. Flowering plants have a single erect flower long and wide on a flowering stem high with between three and five spreading stem leaves. The flower is usually white with dark green and dark brown markings. 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 with a short point on its end. The lateral sepals have erect, thread-like tips long. The sinus between the lateral sepals bulges platform-like and is usually dark brown. The labellum is curved, blackish, blunt, long, about wide and just visible above the sinus. Flowering occurs from February to May.

Taxonomy and naming

''Pterostylis torquata'' was first formally described in 1997 by David Jones from a specimen collected on the Northern Tablelands and the description was published in ''The Orchadian''. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''torquata'') is a Latin word "adorned with a necklace or collar".

Distribution and habitat

The collared greenhood grows in forest on the Northern Tablelands.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15493785 torquata Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of New South Wales Plants described in 1997