Broad-sepaled leafy greenhood facts for kids

The broad-sepaled leafy greenhood (Pterostylis umbrina) is a special type of orchid plant. You can find it growing only in the Australian Capital Territory and parts of New South Wales in Australia. Like many greenhood orchids, this plant looks different depending on whether it's flowering or not. When it's not flowering, it has a group of leaves that lie flat, like a small circle. But when it's ready to bloom, it grows a tall stem with up to six green flowers, each with darker green stripes. These flowering plants have leaves on their stems but no flat rosette of leaves at the bottom.

Quick facts for kids Broad-sepaled leafy greenhood
Pterostylis umbrina growing in the Aranda Bushland
Scientific classification
Genus:	Pterostylis
Species:	umbrina
Synonyms
Bunochilus umbrinus D.L.Jones

What Does This Orchid Look Like?

The broad-sepaled leafy greenhood is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. Think of a tuber like a small, round potato that stores food for the plant. This orchid is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times of the year.

Leaves and Stems

When the plant is not flowering, it has a group of three to five leaves. These leaves are shaped like a spear or an oval. They grow on a short stalk that is about 20 to 65 millimeters (0.8 to 2.6 inches) tall. Each leaf is about 7 to 35 millimeters (0.3 to 1.4 inches) long and 4 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide.

When it's time to flower, the plant doesn't have these flat leaves. Instead, it grows a tall flowering stem, which can be 150 to 600 millimeters (6 to 24 inches) high. This stem has four to seven long, narrow leaves. These stem leaves are about 20 to 80 millimeters (0.8 to 3.1 inches) long and 4 to 9 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide.

The Flowers

The flowers themselves are about 14 to 17 millimeters (0.6 to 0.7 inches) long and 7 to 9 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. The top part of the flower, called the "galea," looks like a hood. This hood is made up of the sepal (a leaf-like part that protects the flower bud) and the petals joined together.

The galea is green with darker green stripes. It has a curved, orange-brown tip. The petals inside the galea are about 13 to 15 millimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long and 3 to 4 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. They are a bit wider in the middle.

The side sepals point downwards. They are about 13 to 15 millimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long and 4 to 6 millimeters (0.2 to 0.2 inches) wide. These two sepals are joined together for more than half their length.

The "labellum" is a special lip-like petal in the center of the flower. It's about 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.20 inches) long and 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide. This labellum is brownish and has a dark stripe down its middle. You can see these flowers blooming from August to October.

How Did This Orchid Get Its Name?

The broad-sepaled leafy greenhood was first officially described in 2006. Two botanists, David Jones and Mark Clements, gave it the name Bunochilus umbrinus. They published their description in a scientific paper called Australian Orchid Research. They studied a plant found in the Australian Capital Territory.

Later, in 2007, another botanist named Gary Backhouse changed its name to Pterostylis umbrina. The second part of its scientific name, umbrina, comes from a Latin word. It means "dull brown." This name refers to the brownish color of the labellum, especially when compared to a similar orchid called P. macrosepala.

Where Does This Orchid Grow?

You can find Pterostylis umbrina in a few specific places. It grows on Black Mountain in the Australian Capital Territory. It also lives in separate, scattered groups in New South Wales. These groups are found between the towns of Burrinjuck and Tumut. This orchid prefers to grow in forests where there are also grasses and shrubs.