Jones, D.L. 1996: Resolution of the Prasophyllum alpinum R.Br. (Orchidaceae) complex in mainland south-eastern Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. Muelleria 9: 51–62.
Details
Jones, D.L. 1996: Resolution of the Prasophyllum alpinum R.Br. (Orchidaceae) complex in mainland south-eastern Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. Muelleria 9: 51–62.
Article
Taxonomic concepts
Descriptions
Solitary terrestrial tuberous herb 10-30 cm tall. Tubers not seen. Leaf 12-35 cm long, 2-5 mm across at the widest, dark green, base white, free lamina 8-12 cm long, erect, slender, moderately stiff, longer than inflorescence, often partially withered at anthesis. Raceme 3-12 cm long, bearing 5-20 (rarely more), subsessile, moderately crowded flowers. Floral bracts ovate c. 1.6 mm long, c. 2 mm wide, closely sheathing, subacute to obtuse or emarginate. Ovary obpyriforrn to obovoid, c. 4 rnrn long, 2.3 rnrn wide, set at about 40° to the rachis. Flowers 10-11 mm long, yellowish-green to reddish-brown, lightly scented, opening freely. Dorsal sepal ovate to elliptic-ovate, 6-7 mm long, 2-2.4 mm wide, decurved, obtuse to apiculate, distal margins involute. Lateral sepals linear-lanceolate, 6-7 mm long, 1.7-2 mm wide, free or connate at the base, recurved in distal half, parallel to slightly divergent, involute near the apex, bidentate. Petals oblong-lanceolate to linear-Ianceolate, 6-7 mm long, c. 1.5 mm wide, porrect, decurved. Labellum ovate-Ianceolate in outline when flattened, 6-7.5 mm long, 4-4.5 mm wide, conspicuously stalked, greenish to reddish-brown, proximal half erect or recurved, the tip often protruding between the lateral sepals, the margins entire or slightly undulate; callus occupying about two-thirds of the ventral surface of the lamina and of similar shape, raised, very thick and fleshy, green to red, shiny, wrinkled near the apex, extending nearly to the labellum apex. Column porrect from the end of the ovary, c. 2 mm long, c. 2 mm wide; appendages narrowly linear, falcate, longer than the anther, obtuse, c. 1.5 rnrn long, 0.4 mm wide, with connate basal lobes c. 0.4 mm long. Anther ovate, c. 1.5 rnrn long, 1.3 mm wide, brown, smooth to rugulose, much shorter than the rostellum; rostrum short, obtuse. Pollinarium c. 1 mm long; viscidium c. 0.2 mm long, ovate, white; hamulus c. 0.3 rnrn long, ligulate; pollinia c. 0.9 mm long, linear-clavoid, yellow, sectile. Stigma reniform, c. 1.3 mm × 1 mm, the rostellum about as high as the appendages. Capsule obovoid, c. 6.mm long, 3 mm wide, green to red-brown, shiny.
Identification keys
KEY TO SPECIES OF THE PRASOPHYLLUM ALPINUM COMPLEX
1
Flowers 5.5-7 mm long, labellum ovate, erect in distal quarter, column wings about half as long as the anther
Flowers 10 mm or more long, labellum ovate-Ianceolate, erect in distal half, column wings as long as or longer than the anther
3
Labellum conspicuously stalked at the base, lateral sepals free throughout or connate at the very base
Labellum shortly stalked or subsessile at the base, lateral sepals connate except at the tip
Reproduced with permission from http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/research_and_conservation/publications/muelleriaMuelleria and the National Herbarium of Victoria.
Cited scientific names
Metadata
214e4d3b-9c24-44a4-be0c-8683103d3dbf
reference
Names_Plants