Pterostylis alveata
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Coastal greenhood | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pterostylis alveata growing in Beowa National Park | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Cranichideae |
| Genus: | Pterostylis |
| Species: | P. alveata |
| Binomial name | |
| Pterostylis alveata | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Pterostylis alveata, commonly known as coastal greenhood,[2] is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. As with similar greenhoods, the flowering plants differ from those which are not flowering. In this species, the non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves flat on the ground but the flowering plants have a single small, shiny green and white flower with leaves on the flowering spike.
Pterostylis alveata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and when not flowering, a rosette of dark green leaves, each leaf 10–25 mm long and 5–15 mm wide. Flowering plants have a single flower 12–15 mm long and 7–10 mm wide borne on a spike 100–200 mm high with between three and five spreading stem leaves. The flowers are shiny green and white. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column. The dorsal sepal curves forward with a pointed tip. The lateral sepals are held closely against the galea, have a thread-like tip 12–15 mm long and a flat, protruding sinus between their bases. The labellum is 8–9 mm long, 3 mm wide, dark brown and blunt, just visible above the sinus. Flowering occurs from May to June.[2][3][4]