Pterostylis nana R.Br.

Dwarf snail orchid (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Pterostylis

Characteristics

Plant slender, to c. 15 cm. tall. Stem minutely rough, lower internodes us. puberulous with short stiff projecting hairs. Rosette lvs ∞, lamina c. 7 × 5 mm., ovate, acute, petiole little shorter, narrowly winged; cauline lvs smaller, sheathing. Fl. solitary, us. remote from highest bract. Dorsal sepal c 10–15 mm. tall, erect for about ⅔ of its length, then almost horizontal, apex obtuse to shortly acute; lateral sepals very long-connate, diverging at a very wide angle and so broadly U-shaped in front view with an inturned median tooth, sharply contracted into slender, ± erect caudae standing well above galea. Petals equal to or longer than dorsal sepal, subacute. Labellum oblong. Column longer than labellum; stigma long-oval, prominent.
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Rosette leaves 4–8, ovate, 4–15 x 4–8mm, green, margins entire or wavy. Flower stem 50–15  tall, smooth or slightly roughened; stem leaves 1 or 2, closely sheathing. Flower stiffly erect, 10–15 x 4–5mm, bright green and white, tip horizontal or shallowly curved, sometimes brownish. Dorsal sepal tapered to short point. Sinus shallowly curved in side view, flat and shallowly notched in front view with dark green central area. Free points filiform, 10–1  long, erect. Petals widely flared. Labellum hidden, curved forward near tip, 3.5–5 x 1.5–1.8mm, ovate to oblong, margins shortly scabrous.
Rosette leaves 4–7, ovate, 7–17 x 5–10mm, dull green, margins usually wavy. Flower stem 50–15  tall, scabrous to shortly hairy; stem leaves usually two, sheathing. Flower erect, 11–17 x 4–7mm, green and white, tip of hood horizontal or shallowly decurved. Dorsal sepal with short tapered point. Sinus curved in side view, flat in front with dark green central area. Free points filiform, 10–1  long, erect or recurved. Labellum hidden, straight with curved apex, 3.5–5 x 1.5–1.8mm, oblong, margins glabrous.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
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Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 0.15
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Environment

Locally common from coast to wetter inland areas, growing mainly in sheltered sites in coastal scrub, heathland, heathy forest, open forest, woodland and mallee communities in freely draining sands and clay loams.
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Widely distributed on W slopes of ranges, growing in drier forests, such as box-ironbark forests, mallee communities, Callitris woodland and shrublands in freely draining sands and clay loams.
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Hardiness (USDA) 7-11

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
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Cultivation

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Images

Pterostylis nana unspecified picture

Distribution

Pterostylis nana world distribution map, present in Australia and New Zealand

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:655339-1
WFO ID wfo-0000288526
COL ID 4Q6HS
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Linguella nana Pterostylis celans Pterostylis nana Pterostylis nana var. typica