Sickle greenhood (Pterostylis furcata)
Description
Pterostylis falcata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of three to six bright green leaves surrounding the base of the flowering stem. Each leaf is lance-shaped to egg-shaped, 30–80 mm (1–3 in) long and 14–25 mm (0.6–1 in) wide. A single dark green and white flower 60–80 mm (2–3 in) long and 20–24 mm (0.8–0.9 in) wide is borne on a spike 150–300 mm (6–10 in) high. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column. The dorsal sepal is much longer than the petals and gradually tapers to a point. There is a wide gap between the galea and the lateral sepals. The lateral sepals are erect and have narrow tips 30–40 mm (1–2 in) long and a deep V-shaped sinus between them. The labellum is 25–34 mm (0.98–1.3 in) long, 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide, brown and curved and half of it protrudes through the sinus. Flowering occurs from September to February.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Cycadophyta
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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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