Pterostylis ventricosa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pterostylis ventricosa
Pterostylis ventricosa growing near Jervis Bay
Scientific classification
Genus:	Pterostylis
Species:	ventricosa
Synonyms
Speculantha ventricosa D.L.Jones

Pterostylis ventricosa is a special kind of orchid that grows only in a small part of New South Wales, Australia. It's also known as a "greenhood" because of its unique flower shape. This plant is very rare and is in danger of disappearing forever.

Like many orchids, its look changes depending on whether it's flowering or not. When it's not flowering, it has a circle of leaves on the ground. But when it's ready to bloom, it grows a tall stem with up to six tiny green, white, and brown flowers.

What Pterostylis ventricosa Looks Like

This greenhood orchid is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also a deciduous plant, which means its leaves fall off at certain times of the year. It grows from an underground tuber, which is like a small storage organ.

When the plant is not flowering, it has a group of four to nine dark green, egg-shaped leaves. These leaves lie flat on the ground in a circle, called a rosette. Each leaf is about 3 to 12 millimeters (about 0.1 to 0.5 inches) long and 3 to 6 millimeters (about 0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide.

Flowering plants grow a thin, wiry stem that can be 80 to 300 millimeters (about 3 to 12 inches) tall. This stem holds up to six flowers that are spaced out. The flowers are 10 to 13 millimeters (about 0.4 to 0.5 inches) long and about 5 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) wide. You might also see one or two leaf rosettes on the side of the flowering stem.

The flowers are green and white. They are wider at the bottom and get narrower towards a bright reddish-brown tip. The top part of the flower, called the "galea," looks like a hood. It's made from two parts: the dorsal sepal and the petals, which are joined together. This hood covers the central part of the flower, called the column.

The dorsal sepal stands up straight at first, then curves forward. It's about 13 to 16 millimeters (about 0.5 to 0.6 inches) long. The petals are a little longer than the dorsal sepal. The side sepals stand upright and stay close to the hood. They have thin, thread-like tips that reach just past the top of the hood. The labellum (which is a special lip-like petal) is about 5 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) long and 2 millimeters (about 0.08 inches) wide. It's dark brown and white, curved, and hard to see.

How Pterostylis ventricosa Got Its Name

This greenhood orchid was first officially described in 2008 by a botanist named D.L.Jones. He gave it the name Speculantha ventricosa. Later, in 2010, another botanist named Gary Backhouse changed its name to Pterostylis ventricosa.

The second part of its name, ventricosa, comes from a Latin word. It means "pot-bellied" or "bulging," which describes the swollen shape at the base of the flower.

Where Pterostylis ventricosa Lives

This tiny greenhood orchid mainly grows in tall forests that have a lot of plants growing underneath the trees. Sometimes, it can also be found in areas that have been disturbed, like along roadsides. You can find this orchid near the towns of Nowra, Tallong, and Mittagong in New South Wales.

Protecting Pterostylis ventricosa

Pterostylis ventricosa is considered "critically endangered" in New South Wales. This means it's at a very high risk of disappearing from the wild.

The biggest dangers to this special orchid include:

• Land clearing: When forests are cut down for buildings or farms.
• Off-road vehicles: Vehicles driving in natural areas can damage plants.
• Grazing by livestock: Farm animals eating the plants.
• Illegal collection: People taking the plants from their natural homes.

Protecting this orchid is very important to make sure it continues to grow in New South Wales.