#pterostylis concinna

[theplantqueer]

Terrestrial orchids! Pterostylis concinna, the Trim Greenhood.

Small flying insects are attracted to the little dark tongue in the opening, then it's thought that they get lost in the bright chamber of the flower, buzz around wildly getting pollen all over them, and then eventually leave and go do this at the next flower, thus pollinating them!

Saw many patches of these in the area, and they tended to be growing from patches of moss on very sandy soils, or directly on top of sandstone.

[palaeobotany]

Pterostylis concinna, with its graceful lateral sepals, Cheltenham Park. This area was burnt in 2005 as part of a vegetation management strategy, which saw a huge species diversity improvement, from being a Leptospermum laevigatum dominated closed scrub to a Eucalyptus woodland.

The slight blush on the galea and at the base of the flower is characteristic of the species, although Pterostylis taxonomy can be quite confusing, especially when the flowers are not to be touched.

Surprisingly, the site had relatively sandy soils due to proximity to the ocean, which usually isn’t that conducive for orchid growth, but these native orchids do find a way.

Cheltenham Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia