Tuart Rufous Greenhood
Pterostylis frenchii
Synonyms
- Oligochaetochilus frenchii
Notes
The Tuart Rufous Greenhood is unusual in that it is the only species of Rufous Greenhood known to occur on the Swan Coastal Plain between Mandurah and Bunbury in south-western WA, whereas all other Rufous Greenhoods of WA are found further east in the semi-arid and arid parts of the state. It also flowers much later than similar species, from late October until early December, making it effectively unmistakable. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a characteristic rosette of leaves on the ground which is usually withered by the time the flowers emerge. While the straw-coloured flower stem can carry up to a dozen individual flowers, it is rare to find more than one or two of them open at any one time.
As its name suggests, the Tuart Rufous Greenhood is an inhabitant of Tuart woodland and other types of woodland and shrubland where it grows in calcareous, sandy soils. Accompanying orchid species include the Leopard Orchid (Thelymitra benthamiana) and the Pink Enamel Orchid (Elythranthera emarginata), both of which are late-flowering, too. Due to its small size and pale-green flowers, the Tuart Rufous Greenhood is excruciatingly difficult to find, which might explain why it was only discovered in the 1990s.
Photos
References
- Pterostylis frenchii in the Australian Plant Name Index
- Pterostylis frenchii in the Atlas of Living Australia
- Pterostylis frenchii in the Western Australian FloraBase