Scarlet greenhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scarlet greenhood |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pterostylis
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| Species: |
coccina
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms | |
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Diplodium coccinum (Fitzg.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. |
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The scarlet greenhood (Pterostylis coccina) is a special type of orchid that grows only in eastern Australia. It's called a "greenhood" because of the unique shape of its flower, which looks a bit like a hood. Like many orchids, the plant looks different depending on whether it's flowering or not.
What Does the Scarlet Greenhood Look Like?
The scarlet greenhood 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 deciduous, so it loses its leaves at certain times.
When the plant is not flowering, it has a group of two to five dark green, egg-shaped leaves. These leaves lie flat on the ground and are about 15–30 mm long and 10–15 mm wide.
When it's time to flower, a single flower grows on a tall stem, about 80–220 mm high. This stem also has three to five leaves on it. The flower itself is quite large, about 40–50 mm long and 16–19 mm wide.
The flowers can be white with bluish-green parts or white with red parts. They usually lean forward. The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, joins with the petals to form a hood. This hood covers the central part of the flower, which is called the column. The tip of this hood is long and thin, like a thread, about 12–16 mm long.
The two side sepals stay close to the hood. They also have long, thread-like tips, about 35–45 mm long. At their base, there's a small, slightly sticking-out dip called a sinus. The labellum (which is like the orchid's "lip") is reddish-brown, about 20–25 mm long, and curves outwards past the sinus. You can see these beautiful flowers from January to April.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The scarlet greenhood was first officially described in 1878 by a person named Robert D. FitzGerald. He wrote about it in his book, Australian Orchids.
The second part of its scientific name, coccina, comes from a Latin word. It means "red like a berry" or "scarlet," which describes the red color you can sometimes see on the flowers.
Where Does the Scarlet Greenhood Grow?
The scarlet greenhood grows in grassy forests. You can find it in the higher areas of New South Wales, stretching south from a place called Mount Kaputar. It also grows in the north-eastern part of Victoria.
