Small-flowered leafy greenhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small-flowered leafy greenhood |
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| Pterostylis diminuta growing in the northern Grampians | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pterostylis
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| Species: |
diminuta
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| Synonyms | |
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Bunochilus diminutus D.L.Jones |
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The Pterostylis diminuta, also known as the small-flowered leafy greenhood, is a special plant. It belongs to the orchid family. You can only find this plant in Victoria, Australia.
Like other greenhood orchids, this plant looks different depending on if it is flowering or not. Plants that are not flowering have a flat group of leaves on the ground. But flowering plants have tall stems with up to twelve small flowers. These flowers are partly green and partly see-through. They do not have the flat leaf group.
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About the Small-Flowered Greenhood
The small-flowered leafy greenhood is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. It is a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so it loses its leaves at certain times.
What Does This Orchid Look Like?
Plants that are not flowering have a group of three to six egg-shaped leaves. Each leaf is about 15 to 25 mm long and 3 to 5 mm wide.
Flowering plants do not have this leaf group. Instead, they have a tall stem, 80 to 400 mm high. This stem can hold up to twelve flowers. It also has four to seven long, thin stem leaves. These leaves are 15 to 80 mm long and 2 to 4 mm wide.
The flowers are 10 to 15 mm long and 4 to 6 mm wide. The top part of the flower, called the "galea," looks like a hood. It is made from the top sepal and petals joined together. This hood covers the central part of the flower.
The galea is dark green with clear "windows" and a brownish, pointed tip. The side sepals point downwards. They are 8 to 11 mm long and 4 to 6 mm wide. These sepals are joined together for about half their length.
The "labellum" is a special lip-like part of the flower. It is 4 to 5 mm long and about 2 mm wide. It is brownish with a dark line down its middle. This orchid usually flowers from September to November.
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How Did It Get Its Name?
Scientists give plants special names to help identify them. The small-flowered leafy greenhood was first officially described in 2006. Two scientists, David Jones and Mark Clements, gave it the name Bunochilus diminutus. They published their description in a scientific paper called Australian Orchid Research. They found the first plant near Stawell.
In 2007, another scientist named Gary Backhouse changed its name to Pterostylis diminuta. The second part of the name, diminuta, comes from a Latin word. It means "diminished" or "made small." This name was chosen because its flowers and flower parts are smaller compared to a similar orchid, Pterostylis melagramma.
Where Does This Orchid Live?
You can find Pterostylis diminuta in Victoria, Australia. It grows in grassy or shrubby woodlands and forests. These areas are located between Ballarat and the Grampians.
