Pterostylis orbiculata

Pterostylis orbiculata (D.L.Jones & C.J.French) D.L.Jones & C.J.French

Pterostylis sp. 'northern'; Pterostylis sp. 'Dongara'; Pterostylis sp. 'coastal'; Urochilus orbiculatus

Small Banded Greenhood Orchid

Pterostylis vittata (Banded Greenhoods)

David Jones & Christopher French in Australian Orchid Review 82(3): 52-53 (2017) as Urochilus orbiculatus

Kalbarri to Mandurah, growing in sandy and sandy-clay soils in woodlands and shrublands.

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A coastal and near coastal species 200–400 mm high with 10 to 20 cauline leaves 40–60 mm long by 7–10 mm wide and up to 12 semi translucent, dark green and white or dark brown and white flowers 10–14 mm across. The original concept for Pterostylis orbiculata was the northern Small Banded Greenhood (P. sp. ‘small bands”) which is short and has few flowers with rounded, flattened lateral sepals. However, the type of P. orbiculata was selected from a population of plants that better matched the species known at that time as Coastal Banded Greenhood (P. sp. ‘coastal’) which is tall and has numerous flowers with narrower, often slightly cupped lateral sepals. Both of these taxa are currently thought to represent forms of P. orbiculata.

It is distinguished from Dark Banded Greenhood (Pterostylis sanguinea) by its smaller, usually more widely separated flowers and narrower sepals.

Not Listed