''Pterostylis truncata'', commonly known as the brittle greenhood or little dumpies, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It is easily distinguished from other greenhood orchids by its short habit and relatively large, "dumpy", green, white and brown flowers. It is widespread and common in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory but is classed as "endangered" in Victoria due to habitat loss as a result of urbanisation.

Description

When not flowering, ''Pterostylis truncata'' has a rosette of between two and six bright green, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves, each leaf long and wide. When it flowers it produces a single white flower with green and brown stripes, borne on a spike high. There are between two and five stem leaves closely wrapped around the flowering spike. The flowers are long, wide and inflated, leaning forward with a downturned tip. The dorsal sepal has a sharp point and the

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 turn inwards underneath it. The lateral sepals have a deep V-shaped sinus between them and each sepal has a thread-like tip long.

Taxonomy and naming

''Pterostylis truncata'' was first described in 1878 by Robert FitzGerald from a specimen collected near Mittagong and the description was published in Fitzgerald's book ''Australian Orchids''. 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 ...

(''truncata'') is a Latin word meaning "to maim or shorten by cutting off".

Distribution and habitat

The brittle greenhood is widespread and common in New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory where it grows in forest, often on sheltered ridges and slopes south from the

New England Tableland New England is a vaguely defined region in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia, about 60 km inland from the Tasman Sea. The area includes the Northern Tablelands (or New England Tablelands) and the North West Slopes regions. A ...

. It is rare in Victoria where it grows in well-drained soil in grassland, woodland or on granite outcrops within of Melbourne.

Conservation

''Pterostylis truncata'' is classed as "endangered" under the Victorian Government

Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 The ''Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988'', also known as the ''FFG Act'', is an act of the Victorian Government designed to protect species, genetic material and habitats, to prevent extinction and allow maximum genetic diversity within the Au ...

. Populations are only known from the You Yangs,

Black Hill Reserve Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white hav ...

near

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

and the

Long Forest Nature Conservation Reserve Long Forest Nature Conservation Reserve is a protected area in the Australian state of Victoria situated to the west of the state capital of Melbourne, between Melton and Bacchus Marsh. It is managed by Parks Victoria. Flora The nature conse ...

near

Bacchus Marsh Bacchus Marsh (Wathawurrung: ''Pullerbopulloke'') is an urban centre and suburban locality in Victoria, Australia located approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne and west of Melton, Victoria, Melton at a near equidistance to th ...

although the range of the orchid was once considerably larger. The main threats to the species and factors in its decline in Victoria, include grazing by European 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 ...

''), feral goats ('' Capra hircus'') and eastern grey kangaroos ('' Macropus giganteus''), as well as weed invasion, especially boneseed (''

Chrysanthemoides monilifera ''Osteospermum moniliferum'' ''(Chrysanthemoides monilifera)'' is an evergreen flowering shrub or small tree of the Asteraceae (daisy) family that is native to South Africa, such as the Cape Flats Dune Strandveld habitat. Most subspecies have woo ...

'') and habitat loss due to urbanisation.

Gallery

Image:Pterostylis truncata clump.jpg, Clump of ''Pterostylis truncata'' near Dangars Falls Image:Pterostylis coccina & Pterostylis truncata - FitzGerald, Australian Orchids - vol. 1 pl. 29 (1882).jpg,

Fitzgerald's Fitzgerald's was one of the oldest and widely recognized live music venues in the Greater Houston area. The club has been at the top of the live music scene in Houston since it opened in 1977. Fitzgerald's is commonly referred to as "Fitz.” Fi ...

painting of ''P. coccina'' (L) and ''P. truncata'' (R)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7256927 truncata Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of New South Wales Orchids of Victoria (Australia) Orchids of the Australian Capital Territory Plants described in 1878