Two-bristle Greenhood Orchid
Flower - labellum open
Two-bristle Greenhood Orchid
Hood, side
| Two-bristle Greenhood Orchid Flower - labellum open | | Two-bristle Greenhood Orchid Hood, side | | ||
 | Class: | Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) | |||
| Order: | Asparagus (Asparagales) | ||||
| Family: | Orchid (Orchidaceae) | ||||
| Species: | Two-bristle Greenhood Orchid (Pterostylis biseta) | ||||
| This Photo: | Flower - labellum, side | ||||
| Other names: | Rustyhood or Veined Greenhood | ||||
General Species Information: Found in the Murray Mallee SA and possibly elsewhere These are fascinating flowers. The two bristles are sensitive to motion. John Smyth tells us this is called an "irritable labellum". An insect will land on the labelum, attracted to the flower by scent. This will trigger the bristles to close the labellum, trapping the insect inside the flower tube. It's only way out is to follow the tube and escape. In the process is brushed against the pollen, thereby fertilising this flower, or taking it's pollen to another | |||||
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