Large mountain greenhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Large mountain greenhood |
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| Pterostylis monticola growing near Mount St Gwinear | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pterostylis
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| Species: |
monticola
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The large mountain greenhood (Pterostylis monticola) is a special type of orchid that only grows in south-eastern Australia. It has a bunch of thick leaves at its base and a single, cool-looking dark green and white flower. You can find it growing in groups in cold, high-up places like mountains and sub-alpine areas.
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What Does the Large Mountain Greenhood Look Like?
The large mountain greenhood is a plant that grows on land, not on other plants. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves die back each year. This plant is a herb with a special underground part called a tuber, which is like a small storage root.
At the bottom of its flowering stem, it has a group of three to seven dark green, thick leaves. This group of leaves is called a rosette. Each leaf is shaped like an egg or oval, about 40–90 mm long and 15–25 mm wide.
The Flower
A single dark green and white flower grows on a tall stem, which can be 200–400 mm high. The flower itself is quite large, about 40–50 mm long and 17–22 mm wide.
The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, joins with the petals to form a kind of hood. This hood is known as a "galea." It covers the central part of the flower, which is called the column. The dorsal sepal is the same length as the petals and bends forward, ending in a pointed tip.
There's a big space between this hood and the two lower parts of the flower, called the lateral sepals. These lateral sepals stand upright and have thin, thread-like tips that are 15–20 mm long. Between them, there's a V-shaped dip called a sinus.
The labellum is another part of the flower. It's brown, curved, and sticks out above the V-shaped dip. It's about 16–20 mm long and 4 mm wide. You can see these flowers blooming from November to March.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The large mountain greenhood, Pterostylis monticola, was first officially described in 1994 by a botanist named David Jones. He wrote about it in a science journal called Muelleria. The plant he described was found in the Brindabella Range.
The second part of its scientific name, monticola, comes from Latin words. Mons means "mountain," and cola means "dweller." So, monticola means "mountain dweller," which makes sense because this orchid lives in mountain areas!
Where Does It Live?
The large mountain greenhood is commonly found in wet, grassy spots. It grows in montane forests and shrublands in New South Wales and Victoria.
