Desert rustyhood (Pterostylis xerophila)
Description
Pterostylis xerophila is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of between three and ten leaves. The leaves are 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. Flowering plants have a rosette at the base of the flowering stem but the leaves are usually withered by flowering time. Up to eight white, green and reddish-brown flowers 25–30 mm (0.98–1.2 in) long and 9–11 mm (0.35–0.43 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem 60–200 mm (2–8 in) tall. The dorsal sepal and petals form a hood or "galea" over the column with the dorsal sepal having a narrow, upturned tip 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. The lateral sepals turn downwards, are wider than the galea, dished, and suddenly taper to narrow tips 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) long. The labellum is insect-like, about 4 mm (0.2 in) long, 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide with a thin "body" and a thickened "head" end. Each side of the labellum has four to six forward-pointing bristles up to 3 mm (0.1 in) long. Flowering occurs from September to November.
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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