Cobra greenhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cobra greenhood |
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| Pterostylis grandiflora growing in Belgrave South | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pterostylis
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| Species: |
grandiflora
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| Synonyms | |
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Diplodium grandiflorum (R.Br.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. |
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The Pterostylis grandiflora, also known as the cobra greenhood or superb greenhood, is a special type of orchid. You can only find it in south-eastern Australia.
Like other similar orchids, these plants look different depending on if they are flowering or not. Plants that are not flowering have a group of leaves that grow in a circle, called a rosette. But when the plant is ready to flower, it grows a single flower stem with leaves along it, and no rosette. This greenhood has a cool green and white striped flower. It also has dark red-brown marks, especially on its "galea" (which is like a hood). The top part of the flower has a sharp, pointed tip.
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What is the Cobra Greenhood?
The cobra greenhood (Pterostylis grandiflora) is a plant that grows from the ground. 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. This plant is a herb and grows from an underground tuber, which is like a small storage root.
How Does it Look?
When the plant is not flowering, it has a rosette of four to nine egg-shaped leaves. Each leaf is about 4 to 20 millimeters long and 3 to 10 millimeters wide.
When it flowers, a single flower grows on a stem that can be 15 to 50 centimeters tall. This stem also has four to nine leaves wrapped around it. The flower itself is quite large, about 27 to 35 millimeters long and 17 to 23 millimeters wide.
The flowers are white with green and dark red-brown stripes and patterns. The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, and the petals are joined together. They form a hood, or "galea," over the central part of the flower called the column. The dorsal sepal curves forward and has a thin tip that is 3 to 5 millimeters long.
The side parts of the flower, called the lateral sepals, stand upright. They are held close to the galea. There's a wide, flat, platform-like area between their bases. The labellum (which is a special lip-like petal) is reddish-brown. It is about 17 to 20 millimeters long and 3 millimeters wide, sticking out above the flat area.
You can see these beautiful flowers from May to August.
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Naming the Cobra Greenhood
The cobra greenhood was first officially described in 1810 by a botanist named Robert Brown. He published its description in a book called Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.
The scientific name grandiflora comes from two Latin words. Grandis means "large," and flos (or floris) means "flower." So, grandiflora simply means "large flower," which fits this orchid well!
Where Does it Live?
The cobra greenhood grows in damp, shady spots. You can find it in forests along the coast and on the tablelands of southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania.
Why is it Important?
The Pterostylis grandiflora is considered "rare" by the Tasmanian Government. This means it needs protection under their Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 to help it survive.
Can You Grow It?
Even though the superb greenhood is easier to grow than many other greenhood orchids, it's mostly grown by people who are very keen on orchids. If you want to grow it, you need to keep it dry when it's not actively growing. But when it's growing and flowering, it needs to be kept moist and get about 50% sunlight.
