Trowel-leaved greenhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trowel-leaved greenhood |
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| Pterostylis trullifolia growing near Upper Hutt | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pterostylis
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| Species: |
trullifolia
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| Synonyms | |
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Diplodium trullifolium (Hook.f.) D.L.Jones, Molloy & M.A.Clem. |
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The Pterostylis trullifolia, also known as the trowel-leaved greenhood, is a special type of orchid. It grows naturally only in New Zealand. Like other orchids, the plants look different depending on whether they are flowering or not.
When these orchids are not flowering, they have a group of wrinkled, trowel-shaped leaves. This group of leaves is called a rosette. But when they are ready to flower, a single flower appears. This flower has a special bulging part, like a platform, between its side sepals. It also has leaves on its flowering stem.
Contents
About the Trowel-leaved Greenhood
What Does It Look Like?
The trowel-leaved greenhood is a plant that grows from an underground tuber (like a small potato). It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, which means its leaves fall off at certain times of the year.
When the plant is not flowering, it has a rosette of dark green or reddish-green leaves. These leaves are wrinkled and shaped like a small garden trowel. They are about 5 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long and wide. Each leaf has a stem, called a petiole, that can be up to 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) long.
Flowering plants grow a single flower that is green with white stripes. This flower grows on a stem that can be up to 300 millimeters (about 1 foot) tall. The stem also has two to eight spreading leaves, which are 5 to 20 millimeters (0.2 to 0.8 inches) long and 2 to 5 millimeters (0.08 to 0.2 inches) wide.
The top sepal and the petals of the flower join together to form a hood. This hood is called a "galea" and it covers the central part of the flower, known as the column. The side sepals are close to the galea and have thin, thread-like tips that are much taller than the hood. There is a U-shaped bulge between the bases of these side sepals. The labellum, which is a special lip-like petal, is dark brown or reddish-brown and sticks out above this bulge. These orchids usually flower from May to September.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The scientific name Pterostylis trullifolia was first officially described in 1853. This was done by a scientist named Joseph Dalton Hooker. He wrote about it in a book called The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.
The second part of its scientific name, trullifolia, comes from two Latin words. Trulla means "trowel", and folia means "leaves". This name perfectly describes the plant's trowel-shaped leaves!
Where Does It Grow?
The trowel-leaved greenhood can be found in many places in New Zealand. It grows in forests, from areas near the coast up to mountain forests. It can live at heights of up to 1,100 meters (about 3,600 feet) above sea level.
Sometimes, you might even find it growing in grassy fields or lawns near forests. It is common on the North Island and the Three Kings Islands. On the South Island, it grows in areas north of Canterbury.
