Hairy rufous greenhood facts for kids

The Hairy rufous greenhood (Pterostylis ciliata) is a special type of orchid found only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It's also known as the tall rusthood or hairy rustyhood. This plant has a group of leaves that look like a circle at its base. It can grow several green and brown flowers that lean forward. Each flower has a small, soft part called a labellum that looks a bit like an insect and is covered in tiny hairs.

What Does It Look Like?

The Hairy rufous greenhood is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves might die back during some seasons.

This plant usually has a group of four to eight leaves at its base. These leaves are about 20 to 35 mm (0.8 to 1.4 in) long and 7 to 12 mm (0.3 to 0.5 in) wide. When the plant is flowering, these base leaves might have already withered away.

The Flowers

The Hairy rufous greenhood grows a tall stem, usually 100 to 220 mm (4 to 9 in) high. On this stem, you'll find between two and eight or more flowers. These flowers are a mix of green, brown, and white. They have parts that you can see through, like translucent panels.

Each flower is about 15 to 20 mm (0.6 to 0.8 in) long and 8 to 9 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) wide. They lean forward on the stem. There are also a few smaller leaves wrapped around the flowering stem.

The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, and the petals form a hood. This hood is called a "galea" and it covers the central part of the flower, known as the column. The dorsal sepal has a narrow tip that is about 8 to 10 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) long.

The side sepals turn downwards. They are wider than the hood and then suddenly become narrow tips. These tips are about 10 to 16 mm (0.4 to 0.6 in) long and curve forward.

The most interesting part is the labellum. It's a thick, fleshy part that looks like an insect. It's green and brown, about 4 to 5 mm (0.16 to 0.20 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. This labellum is covered with many long and short hairs, which is why it's called "hairy."

The Hairy rufous greenhood usually flowers from September to November.

How It Was Named

The Hairy rufous greenhood, Pterostylis ciliata, was first officially described in 1989. Two botanists, Mark Clements and David Jones, described it from a plant they found near the Brookton Highway. They published their description in a scientific paper called Australian Orchid Research.

The second part of its scientific name, ciliata, comes from a Latin word, cilium. Cilium means "eyelash." This name was chosen because of the many hairs on the labellum of the flower, which look a bit like eyelashes.

Where It Grows

The Hairy rufous greenhood grows in areas with woodlands and shrublands. It is quite common in wandoo woodlands.

You can find this orchid in Western Australia, between the towns of Beverley and Esperance. Sometimes, it even grows as far north as Kalgoorlie. It lives in several different natural areas, including the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, and Murchison regions.

Conservation Status

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Pterostylis ciliata as "not threatened." This means that currently, there are enough of these plants, and they are not at risk of disappearing.