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Slender greenhood (Pterostylis foliata)

Description

Pterostylis foliata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber. Flowering plants have a rosette of between three and six dark green, crinkled leaves crowded around the base of the flowering stem, each leaf 30-80 mm long and 10-16 mm wide. A single flower 17-20 mm long and 7-9 mm wide is borne on a spike 120-300 mm high. The flowers are dark green and brown. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column but the dorsal sepal is longer than the petals and has a sharp point on its end. The lateral sepals are erect and in contact with the galea, and there is a deep, V-shaped sinus between the lateral sepals. The labellum is 12-15 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, brown and blunt and protrudes above the sinus. Flowering occurs from August to January.

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum:

        • Class: Liliopsida

          • Order: Asparagales

            • Family: Orchidaceae

              • Genus: Pterostylis