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Red-veined Shell Orchid
Pterostylis hamiltonii

Notes

The Red-veined Shell Orchid is one of several species of Shell Orchid in south-western Australia. It is distinguished from similar species by the characteristic reddish-brown colour of its flowers and the long labellum which often protrudes prominently from the sinus. Non-flowering plants produce a characteristic rosette of leaves on the ground, while flowering plants have several individual leaves along the length of the stem. Red-veined Shell Orchids usually grow in large colonies. The ground is often covered with hundreds of leaves, with only few plants producing flowers each year.

The Red-veined Shell Orchid is found throughout the south-western Wheatbelt region of Western Australia and usually grows in moist Sheoak thickets with a dense undergrowth, in particular in the vicinity of granite outcrops. The peak flowering time is early to mid winter, making the Red-veined Shell Orchid one of the first orchids to flower each season.

Photos

Pterostylis hamiltonii
The Red-veined Shell Orchid is characterised by the reddish-brown colour of its flowers. (Flynn, WA, 12 / 07 / 2015)
Pterostylis hamiltonii
The narrow labellum is rather long and usually protrudes from the sinus. (Flynn, WA, 12 / 07 / 2015)
Pterostylis hamiltonii
Front view showing the long and filamentary lateral sepals. (Flynn, WA, 12 / 07 / 2015)
Pterostylis hamiltonii
Red-veined Shell Orchids usually grow in large colonies. (Flynn, WA, 12 / 07 / 2015)
Pterostylis hamiltonii
Non-flowering plants produce a characteristic rosette of leaves. (Flynn, WA, 12 / 07 / 2015)
Pterostylis hamiltonii
These rosettes often cover the ground in their hundreds, with only few plants producing flowers in any particular year. (Flynn, WA, 12 / 07 / 2015)
Pterostylis hamiltonii
Moist Sheoak thickets around granite outcrops are the most common habitat of the Red-veined Shell Orchid. (Flynn, WA, 12 / 07 / 2015)

References