Coastal leafy greenhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coastal leafy greenhood |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pterostylis
|
| Species: |
littoralis
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Bunochilus littoralis D.L.Jones |
|
The Pterostylis littoralis, also known as the coastal leafy greenhood, is a special type of orchid. It belongs to the orchid family and is only found in South Australia. When this plant flowers, it has up to five pale green flowers. These flowers often have darker green stripes and brownish tips. They also have a narrow, pale green labellum, which is a special lip-like part of the flower.
If the plant is not flowering, it has a circle of leaves called a rosette. These leaves grow on a short, thin stalk. But when the plant is flowering, it doesn't have this rosette. Instead, it has four or five leaves growing directly on its stem.
About the Coastal Leafy Greenhood
What It Looks Like
The coastal leafy greenhood is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. It lives for many years and loses its leaves during certain seasons. If the plant is not flowering, it usually has three to five leaves in a rosette. These leaves are about 10 to 30 millimeters (0.4 to 1.2 inches) long. They are also about 3 to 10 millimeters (0.1 to 0.4 inches) wide. The thin stalk holding these leaves is about 30 to 70 millimeters (1.2 to 2.8 inches) long.
When the plant flowers, it can have up to five pale greenish-white flowers. These flowers have darker green stripes. They grow on a flowering stem that is 100 to 250 millimeters (3.9 to 9.8 inches) tall. Each flower is about 13 to 17 millimeters (0.5 to 0.7 inches) long and 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.20 inches) wide. The flowering stem has four or five leaves on it. These stem leaves are about 10 to 45 millimeters (0.4 to 1.8 inches) long and 4 to 10 millimeters (0.16 to 0.39 inches) wide.
The top sepal and petals of the flower are joined together. They form a hood, like a helmet, over the column (the central part of the orchid flower). The tip of this top sepal is brownish and has a short point. The side sepals turn downwards. They are about 9 to 12 millimeters (0.35 to 0.47 inches) long and 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.20 inches) wide. They are joined together for part of their length and also have brownish tips. The labellum, or lip, is about 5 to 6 millimeters (0.20 to 0.24 inches) long and 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide. It is pale green with a darker green stripe down its middle. These orchids usually flower from July to September.
How It Got Its Name
The coastal leafy greenhood was first officially described in 2006. A botanist named David Jones gave it the name Bunochilus littoralis. He wrote about it in a publication called Australian Orchid Research. This description was based on a plant found near Lake St Clair.
Later, in 2008, another botanist named Robert Bates changed its name to Pterostylis littoralis. The second part of its scientific name, littoralis, comes from the Latin word littus. This word means "shore." It refers to where this orchid likes to grow, which is along coastal areas.
Where It Lives
The Pterostylis littoralis orchid grows in thick coastal scrub. You can find it in coastal areas near the town of Robe in South Australia.
