Flowers. Photo: Richard Hartland, Patchewollock, Vic

Common Name

Veined Greenhood, Rustyhood

Family

Orchidaceae

Notes

Forb to 36cm tall, growing annually from an underground tuber. Leaves basal, 1.4-4cm long, 8-12 mm wide, flat, hairless, edges with short hairs, often withered at flowering time. Small papery bracts up the stem. Flowers transparent, flushed green or reddish-brown, with 6 'petals', looking like 3. Three are joined together to form the hood and two 'petals' dangle below. The sixth 'petal' is the tongue in the middle that flips up when the flower is touched. The tongue is not visible in any of the photos. Flowers 2-7, rarely one, at the top of the stem. Protected NSW.

Description and photo in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 203

PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Pterostylis~biseta