Streamside greenhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Streamside greenhood |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pterostylis
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| Species: |
riparia
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The Pterostylis riparia, commonly called the streamside greenhood, is a type of plant in the orchid family. It is found only in New South Wales, Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a group of dark green, thick leaves that form a circle, like a rosette. When it flowers, the plant has a single, fairly large flower that is green, white, and reddish-brown. This flower has a deep notch between its hairy side parts, which are called sepals.
What the Streamside Greenhood Looks Like
The streamside greenhood is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. 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 has three or four dark green, thick leaves. Each leaf is about 25 to 70 millimeters (1 to 3 inches) long and 10 to 25 millimeters (0.4 to 1 inch) wide.
When the plant flowers, it grows a single flower on a stalk that is about 50 to 200 millimeters (2 to 8 inches) tall. The flower itself is green, white, and reddish-brown. It's about 28 to 35 millimeters (1.1 to 1.4 inches) long and 12 to 15 millimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) wide.
The top part of the flower, called the "galea," looks like a hood. It's made from the top sepal and the petals joined together. This hood covers the central part of the flower. The top sepal and petals are similar in length and end in a sharp point.
There's a wide space between the hood and the side sepals. These side sepals are hairy and have narrow tips that stand up straight, about 15 to 18 millimeters (0.6 to 0.7 inches) long. The space between the side sepals is flat and hairy, with a deep notch in the middle.
The labellum is a special lip-like part of the flower. It's about 18 to 21 millimeters (0.7 to 0.8 inches) long and about 4 millimeters (0.2 inches) wide. It's dark brown and sticks out a little bit above the notch. Streamside greenhoods usually flower in October and November.
How it Got its Name
The Pterostylis riparia was officially named in 2006 by a botanist named David Jones. He described it from a plant he found near Omadale Brook. This area is inside the Barrington Tops National Park. The description was published in a scientific book called Australian Orchid Research.
The second part of its scientific name, riparius, comes from a Latin word. It means 'of stream banks', which tells us where this plant likes to grow.
Where the Streamside Greenhood Lives
The streamside greenhood grows on moist slopes in forests. It is only found in the Barrington Tops National Park in New South Wales.
