''Pterostylis curta'', commonly known as the blunt greenhood, is a species of orchid found in south-eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, Lord Howe Island and

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. It has a rosette of leaves at its base and a single white and green, forward leaning flower with a brown tip and a twisted labellum.

Description

''Pterostylis curta'' has a rosette of between two and six egg-shaped to elliptic leaves, each leaf long and wide. The leaves are dark green, have a distinct petiole and sometimes a wavy edge. A single white and green flower with a brown tip is borne on a flowering spike high, the flower leaning forwards. The flowers are long, wide. The dorsal sepal and

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s are fused to form a hood or "galea" over the

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

. The dorsal sepal and petals are a similar length and end in a blunt tip. There is a wide gap at each side of the flower between the petals and lateral sepals. The lateral sepals are erect, about the same length as the galea, long and there is a broad V-shaped sinus between them. The labellum is long, wide, brown, twisted to one side and just visible above the sinus. Flowering occurs from July to October.

Taxonomy and naming

''Pterostylis curta'' was first described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in '' Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen''.

Distribution and habitat

The blunt greenhood is widespread and common in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, growing in moist places in heath, scrub, woodland and forest. It also occurs on Lord Howe Island and in New Caledonia but is rare in South Australia.

Use in horticulture

''Pterostylis curta'' has received the Royal Horticultural Society's

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. It is easily grown in pots containing a free-draining, sandy mix. The plants require regular watering during their growing period, to be kept dry during dormancy and to be repotted annually.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7256922

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Orchids of the Australian Capital Territory Orchids of New South Wales Orchids of Oceania Orchids of Queensland Orchids of South Australia Orchids of Tasmania Orchids of Victoria (Australia) Plants described in 1810