Inland rustyhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Inland rustyhood |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pterostylis
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| Species: |
cobarensis
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| Synonyms | |
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Oligochaetochilus cobarensis (M.A.Clem.) Szlach. |
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The inland rustyhood (scientific name: Pterostylis cobarensis) is a special kind of orchid plant. It's also known as the Cobar rustyhood. This plant is endemic to Australia, meaning it's found only there.
It has a group of leaves that grow in a circle, called a rosette. The plant also has unique green and brown flowers. These flowers look a bit hairy and have clear, see-through "windows." They also have a part that looks like an insect, called a labellum. You can find the inland rustyhood growing in the drier, inland parts of eastern Australia.
Contents
What the Inland Rustyhood Looks Like
The inland rustyhood is a plant that grows from an underground tuber (like a small potato). It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also a deciduous herb, which means its leaves die back each year.
At the base of the flowering stem, there's a rosette of six to fifteen narrow, oval-shaped leaves. Each leaf is about 15-35 mm (0.6-1.4 in) long and 5-10 mm (0.2-0.4 in) wide.
The Flowers
The plant produces up to fifteen green and brown flowers. These flowers have clear, translucent white "windows." Each flower is about 20-25 mm (0.8-1.0 in) long and 6-7 mm (0.2-0.3 in) wide. They grow on a flowering stem that can be 200-400 mm (8-16 in) tall. There are also three to five 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. The dorsal sepal has a thin, thread-like tip that points upwards, about 12-13 mm (0.5 in) long.
The lateral sepals (the side parts) turn downwards. They are slightly curved with hairy edges. They suddenly become very thin tips, about 7-10 mm (0.3-0.4 in) long, and spread apart.
The labellum is a thick, brownish or green part of the flower. It looks like an insect and is about 5 mm (0.2 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. It's covered with short and long bristles. The inland rustyhood usually flowers from September to October.
How it Was Named
The scientific name for this orchid, Pterostylis cobarensis, was first officially described in 1989. This was done by a scientist named Mark Clements. He described it from a plant specimen collected near a town called Cobar.
The second part of its name, cobarensis, comes from the location where the first plant was found. This first plant is known as the type specimen.
Where it Lives
The inland rustyhood mostly grows in New South Wales, Australia. You can find it in areas between Broken Hill, Nyngan, and Young. It likes to grow in rocky places and in mallee (a type of bushland), especially where rainwater runs off.
It also grows in parts of South Australia that are close to the New South Wales border. You can also find it in the Darling Downs region of Queensland.
Conservation Status
The inland rustyhood (Pterostylis cobarensis) is considered vulnerable in New South Wales. This means that without careful protection, it could become an endangered species in the future.
