Pterostylis plumosa
Cady Bearded GreenhoodFlowering plant to 25 cm tall, stem leaves 1–3, closely sheathing. Rosette leaves 10–20, elliptic, 1–4.5 cm long, 4–12 mm wide, petiolate, margins entire. Flower 30–35 mm long, erect, translucent with dark green lines and reticulations, often shiny; galea erect in the basal two-thirds then curved forwards; dorsal sepal with an upturned filiform point 3–6 mm long; lateral sepals deflexed, conjoined part narrow, margins incurved, with a prominent thickened green pad, free points linear, 13–15 mm long, parallel or slightly divergent. Labellum 14–22 mm long, broadest near the base (c. 1.5 mm across), tapered to a linear-filiform central section and with a brown apical knob c. 4.5 mm long and c. 3 mm wide, all margins, except those of the knob, bearing moderately dense bright yellow hairs 3–6 mm long, the distal two-thirds protruding from the sinus in the set position. Flowers Aug.–Oct.
LoM, Wim, GleP, VVP, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, VAlp. Also SA, NSW, Tas. Scattered widely across drier parts of Victoria in woodlands, open forests, mallee scrub and heathlands on well-drained soils.
Pterostylis tasmanica has generally smaller flowers than those of P. plumosa and a more densely plumose labellum and a shorter apical point on the galea.
A variable species with plants from the Mallee and the Goldfields having been named Plumatichilos multisignatus D.L.Jones and Plumatichilos extensus D.L.Jones respectively (Jones 2018b), but no combinations for these yet exist under Pterosylis. The distinctions between these three taxa is by no means clear. See also Pterostylis unicornis.
Jones, D.L. (1994). Pterostylis. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons, pp. 798–830. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
SpinningJones, D.L. (2018 b). Six new species of Plumatichilos (Orchidaceae: Pterostylidinae) from South-eastern Australia and a new species from New Zealand.. Australian Orchid Review 83(4): 26–44.
