Just a quick trip out to my Pink Lake lookout location to see what is currently flowering. Only one species found which is a bit disappointing however I am always happy to find the unassuming Pterostylis genus.
When I first starting my interest in native orchids, I was completely unaware of these very strange, usually green orchids. On first glance they blend in with their surroundings due to the unusual flowers being coloured the same as the stem and leaves.
The common name for the complex; Greenhoods, is very apt given the colouring and structure of the flowers. The flowers are usually green and white striped (more rarely fawn and white striped), with the joined petals and dorsal sepal forming a hood over the column.
The species found is the Banded greenhood (Pterostylis vittata) which is a common orchid found flowering over a wide distribution, between Perth and Israelite Bay from late April to early September. They can grow to over 450mm in height and can have up to 25 flowers per plant.
They were named way back in 1839, from specimens collected inland of Albany, from the Latin “vittatus” for longitudinally striped.