Southern greenhood facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Southern greenhood
Pterostylis australis near Franz Josef Glacier, Westland (New Zealand)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Orchidoideae
Tribe:	Cranichideae
Genus:	Pterostylis
Species:	P. australis
Binomial name
Pterostylis australis Hook.f.
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The southern greenhood (scientific name: Pterostylis australis) is a special type of orchid. It grows only in New Zealand. Unlike many other orchids, this plant does not have a flat group of leaves at its base. Instead, its leaves grow right on the stem where the flower appears. The leaves change shape depending on where they are on the stem. This orchid has one beautiful flower that is green with white stripes. You can find this greenhood on both of New Zealand's main islands, and it often grows in big groups.

What Does It Look Like?

The southern greenhood is a plant that grows from the ground. It is a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times. This plant has an underground tuber, which is like a small storage root.

It has about three to six leaves on its flowering stem. These leaves are about 40 to 150 mm (1.6 to 5.9 in) long and 10 to 15 mm (0.39 to 0.59 in) wide. The leaves near the bottom are oval-shaped, and those higher up are more like a spear.

The flowering stem can grow to be 100 to 250 mm (3.9 to 9.8 in) tall. None of the leaves grow taller than the single green and white-striped flower. The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, and the petals join together. They form a hood, or "galea," over the flower's central part, called the column. The dorsal sepal has a long, pointy tip that curves downwards.

The side parts of the flower, called the lateral sepals, bend backward and away from each other. The "labellum" is a curved, dark green part of the flower. It is reddish near its tip and arches along its middle. Southern greenhoods usually bloom from November to January.

How It Got Its Name

The southern greenhood was first officially described in 1853 by a scientist named Joseph Dalton Hooker. He wrote about it in a book called The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage of H.M. Discovery Ships Erebus and Terror in the years 1839–1843, under the Command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross. The second part of its scientific name, australis, is a Latin word. It means "south," which makes sense because it grows in New Zealand, a country in the Southern Hemisphere.

Where It Grows

This greenhood orchid likes to grow in areas with scrub and tall forests. It especially likes forests with Nothofagus trees. You can find it on both the North Island and South Island of New Zealand. It also grows on Stewart Island. On the North Island, it only grows south of the East Cape and usually on higher mountains.