#pterostylis

[coprinellus-cluster]

lots of people don’t know we have so many - or any - native orchids in Aotearoa! we have around 120 species of native orchid in several different genera, and several undescribed species as well. these are a few of my favourite native species from the last year or so :)

from top left to bottom right: raupeka/easter orchid (Earina autumnalis), tutukiwi (Pterostylis sp), mountain caps orchid (Caladenia lyallii), silver-back spider orchid (Corybas macranthus), māikuku/white sun orchid (Thelymitra longifolia), green bird orchid (Chiloglottis cornuta), common onion orchid (Microtis unifolia), striped sun orchid (Thelymitra pulchella), and winika (Dendrobium cunninghamii)

[chlorophyll-and-chitin]

Pterostylis plumosa

18-SEP-2025

Cranbourne Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Vic

[creatureimages]

my 10000 good friends who i have to constantly try not to step on. anyway peep the male (probably) fungus gnat in the first image who is (probably) being tricked into being a pollinator by sex pheromones

[punkedsolar]

ITS ORCHID WEEK BABY, LETS CELEBRATE SPRING!

I did these a while back, it's time to revisit them! ORCHID WEEK STARTS ALL ORCHIDS NO STOPPING.

The first three are the ones I'm not very proud of - they are:

Tall Greenhood Pterostylis melagramma

Nodding Greenhood, Pterostylis nutans

Maroonhood orchid, Pterostylis pedunculata

Orchids are associated with huge flowers and exotic colours - but in Australia, we like them to be tiny weird little guys. We like 'em to look like bugs, spiders, ducks, and teeny hairy explosions.

[thiswillnotdo]

2023_11_21

[drhoz]

#2355 - Pterostylis montana - New Zealand Mountain Greenhood

AKA Pterostylis furcata var. linearis.

An orchid endemic to the North, South, and Chatham Islands, and despite the specific is found in a wide range of habitats from dense forest to peat bogs.

The 300-odd species of Greenhood orchid are also found in Australia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, and one Indonesian island. The first species described from New Zealand was the Tutukiwi in 1832, by Allan Cunningham. He named it Pterostylis macrophylla but did not publish his manuscript. Later it was recognised as the same as one collected by Joseph Banks on the Endeavour. With Cunningham's consent, the plant was named Pterostylis banksii in honour of Banks.

Whakapapa Village, North Island Volcanic Island, New Zealand

[naturelinkartbyruth]

[wenbochenphoto]

I think this is Pterostylis grandiflora. I didn't know they could flower this early (literature says May to Aug). You can see the mature plants have narrow leaves, while the young ones are rosettes with heart-shaped leaves.