Journal Number 88
September 2003

HISTORICAL REPRINT

The First Description of Pterostylis montana
From Hatch ED
New Zealand forms of Pterostylis R. Br. Trans RSNZ 1949; 77: 239-40

Pterostylis montana Hatch spec.nov.

Pt. australis affinis, subsimilis. Circiter 15cm alter. Folia 1-5,patula, linearo lanceolata, acuminata, saepe repanda. Flos brevis. Sepalum dorsale acuminatum, apex horizontalis. Sepala lateralia acuminata, lobae brevis Labellum viride, recurvum, apex impartiter constringit. Columna Pt. australis similis, superioribus lobis acuminatus, inferioribus lobis angusto-oblongis incurvis.

A compound species of 2 jordanons. Cheeseman included them in Pt. graminea, but they differ from Hooker's species in having constricted labella and spreading leaves (characters which incidentally they share with Pt. australis), whereas graminea sens. strict. has a symmetrical labellum and erect leaves.

Pterostylis montana var. typica Hatch.
Pt. graminea Cheeseman. in part (not of Hook.f)

Up to 15cm high. Leaves 1-5, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, often repand, up to 4cm long by 4mm broad. Floral bract foliaceous. Flower solitary, up to 3cm high. Dorsal sepal acuminate, longer than the petals, the tip horizontal. Lateral sepals acuminate, the lobes shortly exceeding the galea. Labellum green, recurved, the tip unevenly constricted. Column typical, stigma prominent, elliptical. Column-wings with acuminate upper lobes as high as the anther. Lower lobes incurved, narrow-oblong. With maturity the lateral sepals tend to fall away from the galea.

Distribution: Endemic - 5, not uncommon about the Nothofagus forests on Mount Ruapehu, Matthews, Hatch; 15, Lake Manapouri, 1, 1946, Geo. Simpson; 16, abundant throughout Stewart Island, 12, 1946, C. Smith.

Flowers: November - January, sea-level - 4,500 ft., scattered on the forest floor, common. Probably derived from Pt.australis. Almost certainly confused with graminea sens.strict., and probably abundant in most subalpine areas in the North and South islands, but has so far only been definitely recorded from the localities given above. Holotype in Herb. Hatch, No. 564, Halfmoon Bay, Stewart Island, 11, 1946, C. Smith. The accompanying illustration can be regarded as the hypotype of the species.

Hatch went on to describe Pt. montana var. rubricaulis, now P. agathicola - Ed.