Pterostylis is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Commonly called greenhood orchids, they are terrestrial, deciduous, perennial, tuberous, herbs found in Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, New Caledonia and one Indonesian island. The flowers are mostly green, sometimes with brown, reddish or white stripes, and are distinguished from other orchids by their unusual flower structures and pollination mechanism.
Pterostylis anaclasta is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It was first formally described in 2010 by David Jones who gave it the name Oligochaetochilus anaclastus. The description was published in The Orchadian from a specimen grown at the Australian National Botanic Gardens from a cutting collected near Eungella Dam. In the same year, Jasmine Janes and Marco Duretto changed the name to Pterostylis anaclasta.
Pterostylis exalla is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It was first formally described in 2009 by David Jones and given the name Oligochaetochilus exallus. The description was published in the journal The Victorian Naturalist from a specimen collected on the Wombat Plains in the Southern Lofty region. In 2010, Gary Backhouse changed the name to Pterostylis exalla. The specific epithet (exalla) is derived from the Ancient Greek word exallos meaning "quite different".
Pterostylis frenchii, commonly known as the tuart rufous greenhood, or tuart rustyhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a relatively large rosette of leaves. Flowering plants also have up to twelve white and green or white and brown flowers which lean forward and have a small, fleshy, insect-like labellum.
Pterostylis extranea is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It was first formally described in 2010 by David Jones and given the name Oligochaetochilus extraneus. The description was published in the journal The Orchadian from a specimen grown in the Australian National Botanic Gardens from a tuber collected near Eungella Dam. In 2010, Jasmine Janes and Marco Duretto changed the name to Pterostylis extranea. The specific epithet (extranea) is a Latin word meaning "strange".
Pterostylis ferruginea, commonly known as the Bangham rustyhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the border area between South Australia and Victoria. It has a rosette of leaves and when flowering, up to ten upright, dark green and translucent white flowers which have an insect-like labellum.
Pterostylis lepida, commonly known as the Halbury greenhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves. Flowering plants have up to ten green flowers with brown and translucent striations and a small, insect-like labellum. It is only known from two small populations.
Pterostylis lineata, commonly known as the Blue Mountains leafy greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. As with similar greenhoods, the flowering plants differ from those which are not flowering. The non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves on a short stalk but the flowering plants lack a rosette and have up to seven dark green flowers with translucent "windows" on a flowering stem with stem leaves. The labellum is light brown with a black strip along its mid-line.
Pterostylis littoralis, commonly known as the coastal leafy greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. Flowering plants have up to five pale green flowers with darker green stripes and brownish tips. The flowers have a narrow, pale green labellum. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves on a short, thin stalk but flowering plants lack the rosette, instead having four or five stem leaves.
Pterostylis macrosceles, commonly known as the slender rufous greenhood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a relatively large rosette of leaves. Flowering plants also have between four and eight white flowers with green brown lines and small, insect-like labellum. It is distinguished from other Western Australian greenhoods by the unusually long thread-like tips on its sepals.
Pterostylis macrosepala is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the central-west slopes of New South Wales. As with similar greenhoods, plants in flower differ from those that are not flowering. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves flat on the ground, but those that are flowering have up to eight translucent green flowers with narrow, dark green stripes and up to ten stem leaves.
Pterostylis pearsonii is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It was first formally described in 2010 by David Jones and given the name Oligochaetochilus pearsonii. The description was published in the journal The Orchadian from a specimen grown in the Australian National Botanic Gardens from a tuber collected near Eungella Dam. In 2010, Jasmine Janes and Marco Duretto changed the name to Pterostylis pearsonii.
Pterostylis pedina is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales where in grows on the south-west plains. It was first formally described in 2009 by David Jones and given the name Oligochaetochilus pedinus. The description was published in the journal The Orchadian from a specimen grown in Yass from a material collected near Hay. In 2010, Jasmine Janes and Marco Duretto changed the name to Pterostylis pedina. The specific epithet (pedina) is derived from the Ancient Greek word pedinos meaning "flat" or "level".
Pterostylis perculta, commonly known as the ruddy hood is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a relatively large rosette of leaves and flowering plants have up to five reddish-brown and white flowers with relatively short tips on the sepals.
Pterostylis prasina, commonly known as the mallee leafy greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. Non-flowering have a rosette of leaves on a short stalk, but flowering plants lack the rosette and have up to eight pale green and translucent green flowers with darker green lines. The flowers have a pale green labellum with a darker central line. It is a common and widespread greenhood in parts of Victoria and South Australia.
Pterostylis stenosepala, commonly known as the narrow-sepalled leafy greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. Flowering plants have up to six shiny, translucent green flowers with darker green stripes. The flowers have an insect-like labellum which is green with a dark green mound on its upper end. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves on a stalk, but flowering plants lack the rosette, instead having between four and eight stem leaves.
Pterostylis thulia is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It was first formally described in 2010 by David Jones and given the name Oligochaetochilus thulius. The description was published in the journal The Orchadian from a specimen found near Blencoe Falls. In the same year, Jasmine Janes and Marco Duretto changed the name to Pterostylis thulia. The specific epithet (thulia) is derived from the Ancient Greek word Thoule meaning "farthest north".
Pterostylis viriosa, commonly known as the Adelaide Hills banded greenhood, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. Flowering plants have up several green flowers with faint white stripes. The flowers have an insect-like labellum which is green with a dark green mound on its upper end. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves on a stalk, but flowering plants lack the rosette, instead having several stem leaves.
Pterostylis elegantissima, commonly known as the elegant rufous greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a large rosette of leaves flat on the ground and flowering plants have up to eight green, white and black or brown flowers.
Pterostylis exserta, commonly known as the exserted rufous greenhood, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a large rosette of leaves flat on the ground and flowering plants have up to seven pale, transparent green and white flowers with brownish lines.
