Red-veined Shell Orchid
Pterostylis hamiltonii
Notes
The Red-veined Shell Orchid is one of several species of Shell Orchid in south-western Australia. It is distinguished from similar species by the characteristic reddish-brown colour of its flowers and the long labellum which often protrudes prominently from the sinus. Non-flowering plants produce a characteristic rosette of leaves on the ground, while flowering plants have several individual leaves along the length of the stem. Red-veined Shell Orchids usually grow in large colonies. The ground is often covered with hundreds of leaves, with only few plants producing flowers each year.
The Red-veined Shell Orchid is found throughout the south-western Wheatbelt region of Western Australia and usually grows in moist Sheoak thickets with a dense undergrowth, in particular in the vicinity of granite outcrops. The peak flowering time is early to mid winter, making the Red-veined Shell Orchid one of the first orchids to flower each season.
Photos
References
- Pterostylis hamiltonii in the Atlas of Living Australia
- Pterostylis hamiltonii in the Western Australian FloraBase