Australian Native Plants

  Pterostylis barbata (Bird Orchid)


Pterostylis barbata photo
Bird Orchid

Photograph by Gnangarra...commons.wikimedia.org. Some rights reserved.    (view image details)




BIRD ORCHID FACTS

distribution map showing range of Pterostylis barbata in Australia

Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License


Common Name
Bird Orchid

Description
The Bird Orchid is an unusual Greenhood orchid from Western Australia. When viewed from the side, the flower resembles a bird with long pointed bill. The flower is green and white, with a bit of a tiled pattern. The dorsal sepal and petals are joined together forming the hood or "head" of the bird, and the lateral sepals point downwards forming the "legs". the labellum has a growth like hair protruding. Flowers are borne on the end of a stem about 30 cm tall with usually a single flower per stem. flowering is around August.

Habitat
partial shady areas such as open woodland, open forest ?

Distribution
Pterostylis barbata is found in the south west of Western Australia in the corner from around Perth to around Albany

Growth Characteristics
Height: 30cm
Classification
Class:Liliopsida
Order:Asparagales
Family:Orchidaceae
Genus:Pterostylis
Species:barbata
Common Name:Bird Orchid


Relatives in same Genus
  Pterostylis alpina
  Pterostylis baptistii
  Pterostylis coccina
  Pterostylis curta
  Pterostylis melagramma
  Pterostylis nutans
  Pterostylis pyramidalis
  Pterostylis recurva
  Pterostylis sanguinea
  Pterostylis sargentii
  Pterostylis stenochila
  Pterostylis vittata