Narrow-lip leafy greenhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Narrow-lip leafy greenhood |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Pterostylis
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| Species: |
stenochila
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The Narrow-lip Leafy Greenhood (scientific name: Pterostylis stenochila) is a special type of orchid plant. It's found only in Tasmania, Australia. This means it is endemic to that area.
When this plant flowers, it can have up to seven shiny, see-through green flowers. These flowers often have darker green stripes. Each flower has a part called a labellum, which looks a bit like an insect. This labellum is green with a bright emerald green stripe down its middle.
Plants that are not flowering have a group of leaves shaped like a circle, called a rosette, on a stem. But when the plant is flowering, it doesn't have this rosette. Instead, it has five or six leaves growing directly on its main stem.
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About the Narrow-lip Leafy Greenhood
The Narrow-lip Leafy Greenhood is a plant that grows from an underground tuber (like a small potato). It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times of the year.
What the Plant Looks Like
If the plant is not flowering, it has a rosette of three to five leaves. These leaves are shaped like a spear or an egg. Each leaf is about 2 to 4 centimeters (about 1 to 1.5 inches) long and 6 to 8 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide. They grow on a stalk that is about 3 to 5 centimeters (about 1 to 2 inches) tall.
When the plant flowers, it grows a spike that can be 12 to 30 centimeters (about 5 to 12 inches) tall. This spike can have up to seven transparent green flowers with darker green stripes. The flowering spike also has five or six leaves on its stem. These stem leaves are 1.5 to 5 centimeters (about 0.6 to 2 inches) long and 5 to 9 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide.
The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, and the petals are joined together. They form a hood, or "galea," over the flower's central part, called the column. The dorsal sepal has a short point at its tip. The petals have a wide, clear edge.
The lower sepals turn downwards. They are about 1 to 1.3 centimeters (about 0.4 to 0.5 inches) long and about 5 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) wide. These sepals are joined together for part of their length.
The labellum, which looks like an insect, is 6 to 7 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and about 2 millimeters (about 0.08 inches) wide. It has a bright emerald green stripe down its center and a small bump at one end. This orchid usually flowers between July and September.
How it Got its Name
The scientific name Pterostylis stenochila was first officially described in 1998. This was done by a botanist named David Jones. The description was published in a journal called Muelleria. The plant was found near Brooks Bay, close to Geeveston.
The second part of its scientific name, stenochila, comes from two Ancient Greek words. Stenos means "narrow," and cheilos means "lip." This name refers to the plant's narrow labellum, which is the "lip" part of the orchid flower.
Where it Lives
The Narrow-lip Leafy Greenhood grows in a type of forest called heathy forest. It can be found at heights of up to 300 meters (about 980 feet) above sea level.
