''Pterostylis parviflora'', commonly known as the tiny greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to 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 ...

. As with similar orchids, the flowering plants differ from those which are not flowering. The non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves but the flowering plants lack a rosette at the base but have up to eight tiny green, white and brown flowers.

Description

''Pterostylis parviflora'' is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous,

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

with an underground tuber and when not flowering, a rosette of three to eight egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaves which lie flat on the ground. Each leaf is 3–15 mm long and 3–7 mm wide. Flowering plants have up to eight well-spaced flowers 7–10 mm long and 3–4 mm wide borne on a thin, wiry spike 80–250 mm high. Up to three leaf rosettes are arranged on the side of the flowering spike. The flowers are green and white, sometimes brown on the

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. The dorsal sepal and

s are fused, forming 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 curves forward and has a short point. The lateral sepals are erect, held closely against the galea with thread-like tips about 3mm long that do not project above the galea. The sinus between the bases of the lateral sepals bulges forward and has a small notch in the centre. The labellum is about 4 mm long, 1.5 mm wide and barely visible above the sinus. Flowering occurs from February to May.

Taxonomy and naming

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

Distribution and habitat

The tiny greenhood grows in a range of habitats from coastal heath to forest in moist, well-drained soils. It is widespread on the coast and ranges of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and most of Victoria. It also occurs in Queensland but is rare in South Australia.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15491654 parviflora Endemic orchids of Australia Orchids of New South Wales Orchids of Queensland Orchids of South Australia Orchids of Tasmania Orchids of Victoria (Australia) Plants described in 1810