Leprechaun greenhood facts for kids

Pterostylis conferta, often called the leprechaun greenhood or basalt midget greenhood, is a special type of orchid. Orchids are a large family of flowering plants. This particular orchid is found only in Victoria, Australia. This means it is endemic to that area.

The leprechaun greenhood has a group of leaves that grow in a circle near the ground. It can have up to sixteen pale green flowers. These flowers grow close together on a short stem. This orchid is very rare. Its natural areas have shrunk a lot because of cities growing and farms being built.

What the Leprechaun Greenhood Looks Like

The leprechaun greenhood is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. It is a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so it loses its leaves at certain times.

Plants that are not flowering have a group of five to ten egg-shaped leaves. Each leaf is about 5 to 25 millimeters (0.2 to 1 inch) long. They are also about 3 to 8 millimeters (0.1 to 0.3 inches) wide.

Flowering plants have a similar group of leaves at the bottom of their stem. The flowering stem can grow up to 160 millimeters (6 inches) tall. It holds five to sixteen pale green flowers with darker green stripes.

Flower Parts

The top part of the flower, called the "galea," is made from the sepal and petals joined together. This forms a hood over the center of the flower. It curves forward and then points downwards.

The side sepals are broadly egg-shaped. They turn downwards and are about 6 to 7 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and wide. Their edges are rolled inwards. The labellum (which is like the orchid's lip) is about 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) long and wide. It is pale green and has a dark green tip.

This orchid usually flowers from October to January.

How it Got its Name

The leprechaun greenhood was first officially described in 2009. This was done by a botanist named David Jones. He first named it Hymenochilus confertus. This description was published in a magazine called Orchadian.

Later, in 2010, another botanist, Gary Backhouse, changed its name to Pterostylis conferta. The second part of its name, conferta, comes from a Latin word. It means "pressed together," "crowded," or "dense." This likely refers to how its flowers grow close together.

Where it Lives and Grows

Pterostylis conferta used to grow in areas with basalt grassland. Basalt is a type of rock, and grassland is open land with grass. However, today, this orchid is found in only one small area. This area is a stony hill.

Protecting the Leprechaun Greenhood

This greenhood orchid is considered "threatened." This classification is under the Victorian Government's Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. This law helps protect plants and animals that are at risk of disappearing.