Pterostylis sargentii explained

Pterostylis sargentii commonly known as the frog greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a relatively common orchid which has up to six relatively small, white flowers with green or brown stripes and a fleshy, three-part, frog-like labellum. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves on a short stalk.

Description

Pterostylis sargentii, is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of between three and six leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide on a short stalk. Flowering plants lack a rosette but have between three and ten stem leaves which are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide on the flowering stem. Up to six white and green or brown striped flowers are borne on the flowering stem which is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 high. The flowers are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The dorsal sepal and petals form a hood or "galea" over the column with the dorsal sepal having a thread-like tip NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The lateral sepals turn downwards are joined for about half their length, then suddenly taper to narrow tips NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long. The labellum is NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long, about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide, dark brown with three lobes, the side ones with a large, horn-like appendage. Flowering occurs from July to October.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Taxonomy and naming

Pterostylis sargentii was first formally described in 1905 by the British educator, Cecil Rollo Payton Andrews and the description was published in Journal of the West Australian Natural History Society.^{[4] [5]} The specific epithet (sargentii) honours the Western Australian pharmacist Oswald Sargent who collected the type specimen.^[6]

Distribution and habitat

The frog greenhood is found in a wide range of habitats throughout the south-west of Western Australia, but especially between Mullewa and Grass Patch.

Conservation

Pterostylis sargentii is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

External links

• Cecil Rollo Payton Andrews

Notes and References

1. Book: Brown. Andrew. Dundas. Pat. Dixon. Kingsley. Hopper. Stephen. Orchids of Western Australia. 2008. University of Western Australia Press. Crawley, Western Australia. 9780980296457. 387.
2. Book: Jones. David L.. A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. 2006. New Holland. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.. 978-1877069123. 336–337.
3. Book: Hoffman. Noel. Brown. Andrew. Orchids of South-West Australia. 2011. Noel Hoffman. Gooseberry Hill. 9780646562322. 429. 3rd.
4. Web site: Pterostylis sargentii. APNI. 16 July 2017.
5. Andrews. Cecil R. P.. A new species of Orchideae from Western Australia. Journal of the West Australian Natural History Society. 1905. 2. 57. 16 July 2017.
6. Web site: Sargent, Oswald H. (1880 - 1952). Australian National Botanic Garden. 16 July 2017.