Pterostylis longicurva, commonly known as the long-tongued greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. As with similar greenhoods, plants in flower differ from those that are not. Those not in flower have a rosette of leaves lying flat on the ground, but plants in flower have a single flower with leaves on the flowering stem. This species has a white and green flower with brown markings and a long, curved, brown labellum.
Pterostylis longicurva is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and when not in flower, a rosette of between three and seven dark green, egg-shaped leaves lying flat on the ground. Each leaf is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. Plants in flower have a single flower NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide, which leans slightly forwards on a flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 high with between three and five stem leaves. The flowers are white with bold green stripes and brown markings. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column, the dorsal sepal with a short point. The lateral sepals are in loose contact with the galea, erect or backswept, have thread-like tips NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and a curved V-shaped sinus between their bases. The labellum is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide, brown, curved and protrudes prominently above the sinus. Flowering occurs from April to June.[1] [2]
Pterostylis longicurva was first formally described in 1941 by Herman Rupp from a specimen collected near Upper Horton. The description was published in Contributions from the New South Wales National Herbarium.[3] The specific epithet (longicurva) is derived from the Latin words longus meaning "long"[4] and curvus meaning "bent".
The long-tongued greenhood grows on shady slopes in forest from Coonabarabran in New South Wales to south-east Queensland.