Pterostylis brumalis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kauri greenhood | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Cranichideae |
| Genus: | Pterostylis |
| Species: | P. brumalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Pterostylis brumalis | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Pterostylis brumalis, commonly known as kauri greenhood or winter greenhood,[2] is a species of orchid endemic to New Zealand. There is a rosette of leaves at the base of both flowering and non-flowering plants. Flowering plants have a white flower with narrow green stripes and a dorsal sepal which bends forward strongly while the petals spread widely, giving the flower a cobra-like appearance.
Pterostylis brumalis is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a rosette of egg-shaped to almost round leaves. The rosette leaves are 5–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long and wide with a petiole up to 10 mm (0.4 in) long. Flowering plants usually have a single white flower with narrow dark green stripes borne on a stem up to 200 mm (8 in) high with between two and six stem leaves. The stem leaves are 15–40 mm (0.6–2 in) long and 2–8 mm (0.08–0.3 in) wide. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column. The dorsal sepal curves forward strongly and then downwards with a pointed tip and the petals are flared giving the flower a cobra-like appearance. The lateral sepals are held closely against the galea and have thread-like tips which spread widely apart from each other and a flat, protruding sinus between their bases. The labellum is triangular in cross-section and protrudes above the sinus. Flowering occurs between April and October.[2][3]