Orchid News

In the February March edition of the Australian Orchid Review David Jones and Chris French published a paper to recognise new combinations in the Pterostylis complex. During 2016 a number of taxa were named in the banded greenhood, bird and snail complexes but were placed into genera not recognised by the WA Herbarium. This paper brings these namings into the Pterostylis complex.

The new names are as follows:

Snail complex
P. sp ‘Cape Le Grande’ is now Pterostylis meridionalis
P. sp ‘Helena River’ is now Pterostylis angulata
P. sp ‘northern thick sepals’ and P sp ‘cauline leaves’ have been combined into one taxon now named Pterostylis ectypha.

Banded Greenhood complex
Pterostylis arbuscula is the new name for what was previously the Mallee form of Pterostylis sanguinea but now considered distinct due to its short stature and few flowers
P sp ‘small bands’ is now Pterostylis orbiculata
P sp ‘crowded’ is now Pterostylis atrosanguinea.

Bird complex
P ‘plumed’ is now Pterostylis faceta
P ‘dwarf’ is now Pterostylis galgula
P ‘granite bird’ is now Pterostylis saxosa
P ‘Greenbushes’ is now Pterostylis sigmoidea
P ‘Mehinup’ is now Pterostylis precatoria
P ‘Muirs Highway’ is now Pterostylis longicornis
P ‘plumed’ is now Pterostylis faceta
P ‘The Knoll’ is now Pterostylis serotina

Courtesy of Kevin Uhe