Mitchell's rustyhood facts for kids

Mitchell's rustyhood (scientific name: Pterostylis mitchellii) is a special type of plant. It belongs to the amazing orchid family. This plant is found only in eastern Australia, which means it is endemic there.

Both young plants and those ready to flower have a group of leaves that grow in a circle, like a rosette. When the plant flowers, it can have up to fifteen unique blooms. These flowers have wide edges on their petals. They also have a part called a labellum that looks a bit like an insect with a white "head."

What Does Mitchell's Rustyhood Look Like?

Mitchell's rustyhood is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. It is a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times.

Leaves and Stems

Each plant usually has five to eight leaves. These leaves form a rosette at the bottom of the plant. They are about 15 to 50 millimeters (0.6 to 2 inches) long. The leaves are also about 6 to 20 millimeters (0.2 to 0.8 inches) wide.

When the plant is ready to flower, a tall stem grows upwards. The leaves at the base often dry up by the time the flowers open.

Flowers and Their Features

Mitchell's rustyhood produces between two and fifteen flowers. These flowers grow on a spike that can be 200 to 500 millimeters (8 to 20 inches) tall. The flowers are a see-through white color. They have interesting green and brown marks.

Each flower is about 23 to 26 millimeters (0.9 to 1 inch) long and 8 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. The top part of the flower, called the "galea," forms a hood. This hood is made from the dorsal sepal and the petals. The petals have wide edges on their outer side.

The dorsal sepal has a narrow tip that is 3 to 7 millimeters (0.1 to 0.3 inches) long. The side sepals point downwards. They are much wider than the galea. These sepals suddenly narrow into tips that are 7 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long. These tips then curve away from each other.

The Labellum

A very interesting part of the flower is the labellum. It is thick and looks like an insect. It is greenish-brown and about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) long. It is also about 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide.

The "head" end of the labellum is white and has short hairs. The "body" part has five to eight long hairs on each side. Mitchell's rustyhood flowers from August to October.

How Mitchell's Rustyhood Got Its Name

The first time Pterostylis mitchellii was officially described was in 1848. A scientist named John Lindley wrote about it. He used a plant sample found on Mount Kennedy in southern Queensland. This sample was collected during an expedition by Thomas Mitchell in 1845-1846.

The description of the plant was published in Mitchell's book. The book was called Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia. The plant was named "mitchellii" to honor Thomas Mitchell.

Where Mitchell's Rustyhood Lives

Mitchell's rustyhood is found in many places across eastern Australia. It is quite common in certain areas. You can find it growing in dry woodlands and forests. Its range stretches from the Blackdown Tableland in Queensland down to Narrabri in New South Wales.