Shy greenhood (Pterostylis allantoidea)
Description
Pterostylis allantoidea, is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and which usually grows in colonies. It has a rosette of large, dark green leaves with wrinkled edges, each leaf 5–15 mm (0.2–0.6 in) long and 1–10 mm (0.04–0.4 in) wide. When flowering, there is usually only a single, white flower with green or reddish-brown stripes. The flowers lean forwards and are 12–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long, 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide and borne on a flowering spike 80–100 mm (3–4 in) tall. The dorsal sepal and petals form a hood over the column. The dorsal sepal is longer than the petals and has a thread-like tip 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. The lateral sepals are erect with thread-like tips 10–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long with a bulging sinus between them. The labellum is egg-shaped, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long, about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, thick, fleshy, dark brown and curved and protrudes above the sinus. Flowering occurs from August to September.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Asparagales
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Family: Orchidaceae
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Genus: Pterostylis
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