Pterostylis aspera

Species of orchid

Rough shell orchid

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Monocots
Order:  | Asparagales
Family:  | Orchidaceae
Subfamily:  | Orchidoideae
Tribe:  | Cranichideae
Genus:  | Pterostylis
Species:  |

P. aspera

Binomial name
Pterostylis aspera

D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.[1]

Synonyms[2]

Diplodium asperum (D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem.

Pterostylis aspera, commonly known as the rough shell orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. 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 spike. In this common species, the flower is white with green and reddish-brown stripes and a short, straight labellum.

## Contents

* 1 Description
* 2 Taxonomy and naming
* 3 Distribution and habitat
* 4 Conservation
* 5 References

## Description[edit]

Pterostylis aspera is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and when not flowering, a rosette of bluish-green leaves lying flat on the ground. Each leaf is 6–20 mm (0.2–0.8 in) long and 4–17 mm (0.2–0.7 in) wide. Flowering plants usually only have a single flower 22–30 mm (0.9–1 in) long and 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) wide which leans forwards on a flowering stem 60–200 mm (2–8 in) high. There are between three and five stem leaves 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide . The flowers are white with green and reddish-brown stripes. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column and the dorsal sepal has a sharp point. The lateral sepals are held closely against the galea and have narrow tips 30–35 mm (1.2–1.4 in) long and a broad sinus with a small notch between their bases. The labellum is 13–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long, about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide, relatively straight, and only just visible above the sinus. Flowering occurs from May to July.[3][4][5]

## Taxonomy and naming[edit]

Pterostylis aspera was first formally described in 1989 by David Jones and Mark Clements from a specimen collected near Eaton and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research.[1] The specific epithet (aspera) is a Latin word meaning "rough", "harsh" or "uneven",[6] referring to hairs on the labellum.[4]

## Distribution and habitat[edit]

The rough shell orchid grows in shrubland and woodland between Dongara and Jerramungup in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions.[3][4][5][7]

## Conservation[edit]

Pterostylis aspera is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.[7]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Pterostylis aspera". APNI. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
2. ^ "Pterostylis aspera". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
3. ^ a b Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. pp. 290–291. ISBN 978-1877069123.
4. ^ a b c Brown, Andrew; Dixon, Kingsley; French, Christopher; Brockman, Garry (2013). Field guide to the orchids of Western Australia : the definitive guide to the native orchids of Western Australia. Simon Nevill Publications. p. 346\. ISBN 9780980348149.
5. ^ a b Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 398\. ISBN 9780646562322.
6. ^ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 669.
7. ^ a b "Pterostylis aspera". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

Taxon identifiers|

* Wikidata: Q15491774
* Wikispecies: Pterostylis aspera
* APNI: 74156
* CoL: 4Q6DY
* EoL: 1132307
* FloraBase: 15426
* GBIF: 2847468
* iNaturalist: 1090869
* IPNI: 938985-1
* NCBI: 672844
* Open Tree of Life: 342855
* Plant List: kew-170504
* POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:938985-1
* Species+: 73218
* Tropicos: 50039282
* WFO: wfo-0000288428

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