Brown-lip leafy greenhood (Pterostylis williamsonii)
Description
Pterostylis williamsonii, is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of between four and six dark green, egg-shaped leaves on a stalk 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long, each leaf 3–35 mm (0.1–1 in) long and 3–8 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide. Flowering plants have up to nine transparent green flowers with darker green and brown bands on a flowering spike 90–300 mm (4–10 in) high. The flowering spike has five or six lance-shaped stem leaves which are 40–70 mm (2–3 in) long and 4–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. The flowers are 13–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long, 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused, forming a hood or "galea" over the column with the dorsal sepal having a brown tip. The lateral sepals turn downwards, are 12–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long, 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide and have a narrow tip about 4 mm (0.2 in) long which is orange-brown on its end. The labellum is insect-like, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long, about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide and creamy yellow to dark chocolate brown with a black central stripe. Flowering occurs from April to July.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Asparagales
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Family: Orchidaceae
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Genus: Pterostylis
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