Spoon-lipped rufous greenhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spoon-lipped rufous greenhood |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pterostylis
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| Species: |
spathulata
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| Synonyms | |
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Oligochaetochilus spathulatus (M.A.Clem.) Szlach. |
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The Spoon-lipped Rufous Greenhood (scientific name: Pterostylis spathulata) is a special type of orchid plant. It's also sometimes called the Moora Rustyhood. This unique plant grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. Both young plants and those ready to flower have a large group of leaves shaped like a circle, called a rosette. When the plant flowers, it can have ten or more white, green, or brown flowers. These flowers have thin, upward-pointing tips on their side parts, called sepals. They also have a special spoon-shaped part, called a labellum, which looks a bit like an insect.
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What Does the Spoon-lipped Greenhood Look Like?
The Spoon-lipped Rufous Greenhood is a plant that lives on land. 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. This plant is a herb and grows from an underground part called a tuber.
It usually has between six and ten leaves that form a rosette. These leaves are about 20 to 45 mm (0.8 to 1.8 in) long and 7 to 14 mm (0.3 to 0.6 in) wide. When the plant is about to flower, it grows a tall stem from the center of its leaf rosette. However, the leaves often dry up and disappear by the time the flowers open.
Flowers of the Greenhood Orchid
The flowering stem can grow to be 150 to 350 mm (5.9 to 14 in) tall. It can hold ten or more flowers. These flowers usually lean forward and are about 20 to 22 mm (0.8 to 0.9 in) long and 7 to 9 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) wide.
The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, and the petals join together to form a hood. This hood, also known as a "galea," covers the central part of the flower. The dorsal sepal has a very thin, thread-like tip that is about 9 to 11 mm (0.35 to 0.43 in) long.
The side sepals point downwards. They are wide and shaped like a deep dish, with tiny hairs on them. These sepals suddenly become very narrow tips, about 18 to 22 mm (0.7 to 0.9 in) long. These tips then curve forward and upward.
The most interesting part is the labellum. It's shaped like a cup and looks a lot like an insect. It's about 5 mm (0.2 in) long and 3 mm (0.1 in) wide. On each side of its "body," it has six to eight long hairs. This orchid usually flowers from September to November.
How the Spoon-lipped Greenhood Got Its Name
The Spoon-lipped Rufous Greenhood was officially described for the first time in 1989. A scientist named Mark Clements found a sample of the plant near a town called Moora. He then published its description in a scientific book called Australian Orchid Research.
The second part of its scientific name, spathulata, comes from a Latin word, spatha. This word means "spoon." It was chosen because the orchid has a unique spoon-shaped labellum.
Where the Spoon-lipped Greenhood Lives
The Spoon-lipped Rufous Greenhood grows in different types of natural areas. You can find it in woodlands, which are areas with many trees, and in shrublands, which have lots of bushes. It also likes to grow on granite outcrops, which are large rocks sticking out of the ground.
This orchid is found in Western Australia, in an area stretching from Mullewa all the way to the Fitzgerald River. It lives in several different natural regions, including the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Mallee, Murchison, Swan Coastal Plain, and Yalgoo areas.
Is the Spoon-lipped Greenhood Protected?
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the Spoon-lipped Rufous Greenhood. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means that, for now, there are enough of these plants, and they are not in danger of disappearing.
