Exserted rufous greenhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Exserted rufous greenhood |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pterostylis
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| Species: |
exserta
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| Synonyms | |
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Oligochaetochilus exsertus D.L.Jones |
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The exserted rufous greenhood (scientific name: Pterostylis exserta) is a special type of orchid. It only grows in the south-west part of Western Australia. Both young plants and those ready to bloom have a big circle of leaves, called a rosette, that lies flat on the ground. When it flowers, it can have up to seven pale, see-through green and white flowers with brownish stripes.
What it Looks Like
The exserted rufous greenhood is a plant that grows from the ground. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so it loses its leaves at certain times of the year. This plant has an underground tuber (like a small potato) and a rosette of leaves that can be about 2 to 7 centimetres (0.8 to 2.8 inches) wide.
When the plant flowers, it can have up to seven flowers. These flowers are spaced out along a stem that can be 10 to 35 centimetres (3.9 to 13.8 inches) tall. Each flower is about 3 to 4 centimetres (1.2 to 1.6 inches) long and 6 to 7 millimetres (0.24 to 0.28 inches) wide. They are a clear green and white colour with brownish lines.
The top part of the flower, made from a sepal and petals, forms a hood. This hood covers a central part of the flower called the column. The side sepals point downwards and end in thin, thread-like tips that spread apart. The labellum (a special petal) is brown and looks a bit like an insect. It sticks out from the other parts of the flower. It has short hairs on one end and longer bristles along its sides. This orchid flowers from late August to October.
How it Got its Name
The exserted rufous greenhood was first officially described in 2015 by a botanist named David Jones. He first named it Oligochaetochilus exsertus. This description was published in a magazine called Australian Orchid Review. The plant he studied was found near Gunyidi.
Later in 2015, David Jones changed the name to Pterostylis exserta. He did this to fit different ways scientists classify plants. Before these official names, people knew this orchid as Pterostylis sp. 'exserted labellum'.
The second part of its scientific name, exserta, comes from a Latin word. It means "projecting" or "thrust forth." This name describes how the labellum (the insect-like part) sticks out from the rest of the flower.
Where it Lives
The exserted rufous greenhood grows in certain areas of Western Australia. You can find it in shrubland, a type of mallee woodland, and near large rock formations called granite outcrops. It grows between the towns of Eneabba and Hyden. These areas are part of specific natural regions in Australia, including the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, and Mallee.
Conservation Status
The Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Pterostylis exserta as "not threatened." This means that currently, there are enough of these plants, and they are not considered to be in danger of disappearing.
