Pterostylis irsoniana
Greenhood

PLANT: Up to 35cm tall, often much less, especially in sub-alpine zones.

LEAVES: Usually 3 - 5. Up to 18cm in length. Upright. Fairly narrow and deeply keeled. Light green with darker green stripes.

FLOWER: Single. 2 - 3cm high. Dark green with white stripes, usually tinged with red. Dorsal sepal tip short. Petals not much shorter than the dorsal sepal. Lateral sepals diverge at a narrow angle. Labellum narrow triangular and protruding prominently forward. The labellum tip is curled, with a dark coloured callus on the end.
Stigma long and narrow.

FLOWERING TIME: November - January.

HABITAT: Lowland to sub-alpine forests and scrub. Mainly montane to sub-alpine in the North Is, extending to lowland zones in the South Is.

CONSERVATION STATUS: Not Threatened.

NOTES: Flowers with considerable red colouring are not uncommon.